The Masai Language

The following small work on the Masai language was compiled by me during two years spent among the Masai people. What I learnt was learnt directly from the Masai, and with no middleman in the way of Swahili or other native interpreters. My excuse for undertaking a work of this description, without the special philological qualifications, is that I could converse freely with, and be fully understood by, any Masai; and that I could also well understand any Masai either talking to me or among themselves.

As my methods of learning and construing the language were not scientific but natural (if the contradistinction may be used), they may perhaps prove of some interest. During the first few weeks among the Masai I could not even hear sufficiently what they said to be able to write down anything intelligible, and my own attempts at saying a few words were equally unintelligible to them. Since I was familiar with Swahili at the time it is improbable that this inability to hear or pronounce Masai should be ascribed to the fact that it is an African language. It is far more likely that the real difficulties of the language, intonation and accentuation, were hindering me, as Masai is undoubtedly difficult of pronunciation, construction and expression. When I was able to say a few words or sentences fairly correctly, I used them to every Masai I saw; and when they were said so that they were understood by a variety of people without hesitation I considered them correct.