You may have noticed that "Maasai" can be spelled two different ways; "Maasai" or "Masai". Which one is the proper spelling?
I don't know. We are constantly told different viewpoints. You decide....
A google search of "Masai Mara" returns 1,320,000 results. A google search of "Maasai Mara" returns 293,000 results.
There is no wikipedia entry for "Maasai Mara". There IS a wikipedia entry for "Masai Mara".
All the signs into the national reserve are labeled as "Masai Mara".
The definition for "Masai" is; A Nilotic Language.
The definition for "Maasai" is: an indigenous African ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania.
Generally, the people are known as the "Maasai"....which basically means the group of people that speak the "Maa" language. When referring to anything else....you spell it, "Masai".
3 comments:
Maasai (not Masai) is the correct spelling of this noble tribe: it means people speaking maa. Masai was the incorrect spelling of the British settlers and has remained in current use. The Maasai have always been special. Their bright red robes set them apart visually.
http://maasaiwilderness.org › maasai
The Maasai Culture and Traditions - Maasai Wilderness Conservation
Maasai is the correct way, ive spent lots of time with them myself.. i have proof if you wanna see :)
It is likely that both spellings are "correct". The English language has a long history of anglicizing foreign words for local consumption. In the same way that Germany and Deutschland are both correct spellings for the German homeland, Masai and Maasai may both be "correct", depending on whether you are an English speaker or Tanzanian speaker.
Post a Comment