Question

The word ‘Maasai’ is derived from the word Maa. Maa-sai which means _____.
A) My people
B) Mother and people
C) Their people
D) Tribal people

Answer 1

Hint:
Maasai are the Nilotic ethnic group, living in central, northern, and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Maasai people speak the Maa language.

Complete solution:
The word ‘Maasai’ means my people. Maasai are the Nilotic (indigenous to the Nile valley, who speak Nilotic language) ethnic group, living in central, northern, and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are best known among local populations due to their distinctive customs and dresses. These Maasai people speak the Maa language, which came from the Nilotic language family. But nowadays most of the Maasai people speak the official language of Tanzania and Kenya. The government of Kenya and Tanzania encouraged them and tried to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic pastoral lifestyle to make them get into the mainstream. But they continued to hold onto their rituals and customs. Now, they also welcome visitors from around the world to make them experience their age-old tradition, culture, and lifestyle. Slowly, it has become the tourists’ attraction.

Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Note:
Due to the influence of the outside modern world, the age-old tradition and lifestyle of the Maasai people had become increasingly difficult. They had started to face the continuous loss of their grazing lands due to park boundaries and land privatization. The lack of available rangelands and loss of the cattle populations forced them to begin to cultivate maize. They were compelled to participate in Tanzania’s monetary economy, where they had to sell all their traditional medicines and animals to buy food in order to survive. Now, many Maasai people have abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and got positions in commerce and government. Many projects have been started to help them to preserve their tradition, also simultaneously balancing education.