Maa (Maasai)
Maa Lesson #2: Maa Greetings
Supai? Takwenya? Welcome to your first lesson on Maa greetings. This lesson will begin by explaining each set of appropriate greetings in Maa based on the age of the person you are greeting and whether or not you know them personally. This lesson will be broken down into formal greetings and informal greetings. After we have our basic greetings down, we will also learn how to use them in context. In a later lesson, we will learn how to exchange news with the person after we have greeted them. This is a critical aspect of polite etiquette in Maa communities. Unlike in the United States where often a simple “hey” will suffice for greeting, in Maa communities, people exchange news after the initial greeting. In the next chapter, you will find an h5p activity to practice these new items that you have learned today! Okay, are you ready?
LET’S BEGIN!!
TABLE OF MAA GREETINGS
- Before we outline formulaic greetings. Please take a minute to review this table and become comfortable with the words. Maa pronunciation is phonetic.
| Maa Greetings | Meaning | Response | To whom |
| Supai | Hello | Epa | Men |
| Takwenya | Hello | Iko | Women |
| Keyaa toi ikanaabo | what’s up/ hey | Sidai | People your age or younger |
| Yeyo (s.) / Noyeyo (pl.) | Hi woman/women | Eyo | Women who you don’t know/ It comes before “Takwenya |
- Now that you have some basic understanding of Maa greetings. Let’s outline formulaic conversations in which these would be used in context. In these scenarios, “A” is the the person initiating the greeting, and “B” is the respondent.
1). The following is used when you come across a man / men. This greeting is formal.
A: Supai
B: Epa
A: Shikamoo (Swahili greeting of respect that can be added to this Maa greeting)
B: Marahaba (Swahili response that can be added to this Maa greeting)
2). The following is used when you come across a woman. This greeting is formal.
A: Takwenya
B: Iko
3). The following is used when you come across a woman/ women you do not know personally but are Maasai women.
A: Yeyo (s.) / Noyeyo (pl.)
B: Eyo (s.) / Eyo (pl.)
A: Takwenya (s.) / Endatakwenya (s.)
B: Iko (s.) / Iko (pl.)
4). The following is used when you come across a man/ men you do not know personally but are Maasai men. This greeting is formal.
A: Papa (s.) / Loo Papa (pl.)
B: Oi (s.) / Oo (pl.)
A: Supai (s.) / Endasupai (pl.)
B: Epa (s.) / Epa (pl.)
5). The following is used when you come across a peer. This greeting is informal.
A: Keyaa toi ikanaabo
B: Sidai
6). The following is used when you come across a boy/ boys who you think is/are younger than you. This greeting is informal.
A: Ero (s.) / Oye (pl.)
B: Oi (s.) / Oo (pl.)
A: Supai (s.) / Endasupai (pl.)
B: Epa (s.) / Epa (pl.)
WONDERFUL! Now, that we know Maa greeting words and understand how/ when to use them in context, let’s go to the next chapter where we can practice what we have learned in this lesson!
