Maa

Yi - yi

yi Variant: yɨ. Letter combination which, when preceding another vowel, represents the Maa strongly-articulated palatal glide phoneme, eg. a-yíá 'to be like'. This phoneme contrasts with the lightly-articulated glide y, as in a-yá 'to carry'. The fortis glide may be spelled with tone on the i depending on tone of the following vowel.

a-yíá v. 1 • To be like. Áyia ánaa papaí. I am like my father (in behavior or appearance). Eiyíâ ánaa ɛnɛ́ ŋúés. He is like a wild beast. Kɛ́nyɔ́rrɨ ɛnkɨ́lâ áɨ́ ayíá ánaa eninó. My cloth is green like yours.

2 • To be of a type or kind. Kéyiáá doí nɨ́nyɛ ɛlɛ̂ ashé? What color is this calf? (Pk). Kɛ́áta ɛndá kɨ́tɛŋ emúá nayíáā? Which color does that cow have? (W). Kéyiáá doí nɨ́nyɛ ɛntʉ́ŋání néméyíéú neâs esíái? What kind of person is s.o. who does not want to work? (Pk).

yîâ [North] interj. [North] What's that? What did you say?

a-yíál v. To be arrogant; pretend to know nothing. ɔltʉŋáni óyial person who is arrogant. LING: This verb describes a situation where a person deviates from the main topic of discussion or course of argument, mostly in a funny or teasing way. See: a-ɨmɛ́rr ‘To be arrogant’.

a-yíáŋ v. To butcher, slaughter. Ɛlɛ̂ áshɛ́ apá ɛwalatá ɔlápa kɨ́nɛ́ ɔtɛyiaŋa. This calf is what he gave for the exchange of the castrated he-goat he slaughtered. (Pk). Éíshópó ɨlmʉ́rrân ilkerretí loó lmóŋí oteyiaŋâ. The warriors are wearing a piece of hide on their wrist from the oxen they slaughtered. (Pk). Tɛ́rɛʉ́ ɔlkɨ́tɛ́ŋ oyiaŋákɨ̄nɨ̄ entítō inó áaɨshɔ ɛɨ́látá. Bring an ox to be slaughtered for your girl to give her fat.

e-yíáŋárɛ́ Nom sg: e-yíaŋarɛ. n. Slaughtering. Ɛ́ɨ́pʉ́tá eyíaŋarɛ ɛnkɔ́p náyɨ́ɛ́ŋɨ́ inkɛ́ There is a lot of sheep slaughtering around. (Pk).

ɛ-yíáŋátá Nom sg: e-yiaŋatá. Acc pl: i-yiaŋát. Nom pl: i-yiaŋát. n. Slaughter.

a-yiaŋiyíáŋ v. 1 • To rave. Míntóki atɔ́n ayiaŋiyíáŋ tólimú dúóó ɛnɨ́áta. Stop raving and say exactly what you have to say. (Pk). See: a-idaudáú [North] ‘To rave’; a-ɨbɔrɔrɔ́ ‘To rave’.

2 • To talk while sleeping.

a-yíáp v.motion. 1 • To walk quickly on the balls of the feet, with the upper body tilted forward; walk springingly and hastily. Ɨ́ŋʉrá siî íyíé ɛldɛ̂ mʉ́rráni oyíáp ténélo. Look at that warrior who walks hastily and springingly. (Pk). This is usually done to get somewhere quickly, but sometimes a person will normally walk in this manner.

2 • [North] To walk away.

a-yíár [North] v. [North] To cook. See: a-yɨ́ɛ́r ‘To cook’.

a-yiarakɨ́ v. To cook for. Ɛgɨ́ra ɛntásât ayiarakɨ́ ɨnkɛ́ra ɛndáa. The old woman is cooking food for the children. (Pk). See: a-yɨ́ɛ́r ‘To cook’.

ɛ-yíárárɛ́ n. Cooking. Ɛɨdɨpakɨ́ ɛyiararɛ The cooking is complete. (Pk). See: ɛ-yíárátá; a-yɨ́ɛ́r ‘To cook’.

ɛ-yíárátá Nom sg: ɛ-yiaratá. n. Food preparation; cooking. See: a-yɨ́ɛ́r ‘To cook’; ɛ-yíárárɛ́ ‘To cook’.

a-yiaroyú v.mid. To be approachable. ɔltʉŋáni ɔyíároyú an approachable person. See: a-yiayá ‘To meet, approach’.

a-yíás₁ v. To sleep.

a-yiasá [North] v.mid. 1 • [North] To doze off. Kɛ́tɛ́yɨ́ɛ́sɛ. He dozed off. (S). See: a-imúg ‘To doze’.

2 • [North] To feel sleepy.

a-yíás₂ v. To be cheeky or funny. Kɛ́gɨ́ra doí aké ayíás amʉ̂ mɛɛtáɨ́ entóki naáíjó. He is just being funny because there is nothing like that. (Pk).

a-yíát v. To pull. Néyiatakínō enoshî kátá dúóó tʉ́kʉ̂l émísímîs. They pulled in when it is completely dark. See: a-yíét ‘To pull’.

a-yiayá v.dir. 1 • To go to where sth. is; approach. Káló ayiayá amʉ̂ ɨ́nâ aké enkoitóí níkitumoré. I will go where she is because that is the only way we can meet. (Pk).

2 • [North] To look for. Kɛ́tɛ́yíáyɛ. She looked for it. (S). See: a-ɨŋɔrʉ́ ‘To look for’; a-yíá ‘To resemble’.

a-yíé v. To require sth. from s.o. Áyéwuo ayíé olkér láló ayɨ́ɛ́ŋ. I have come to get a castrated ram from him that I will slaughter. (Pk).

-yie In some suffixed forms: -yiek. appl. Variant of the verb suffix -íé, indicating the object is an instrument. This variant is used after a vowel. See: -íé ‘INSTRUMENTAL’.

a-yɨ́ɛ́ŋ [yyɛŋ] Variant: a-yíáŋ; a-yíéŋ. v. 1 • To slaughter and divide an animal into pieces appropriately according to the way the muscles, bones, tendons, etc. are formed; butcher. Nɛ́ɨ́shɔ̄ mɛnyɛ́ ɔlkɨ́tɛ́ŋ ɔshɔmɔ́ áayɨɛŋ tɔlpûl. Their father gave them a bull to slaughter in the slaughtering place. Mɛyɨɛŋɨ́ áɨ́kātā ɔlkɨ́tɛ́ŋ lɛ́mɛ́ sinyáti tɔɔ́ ntáleŋo. An ox which is not of one colour for a sacred purpose is never slaughtered. (Pk). Ɛgɨ́ráɨ́ áayɨɛŋ olkér lâŋ. Our castrated ram is being slaughtered. (Pk).

2 • To flay.

3 • To skin.

4 • To operate or perform surgery, on a human or animal. Ɛ́táyíáŋá ɔlkitarí ɛnkɛ́ráɨ́ namúéí. The doctor has performed surgery on the sick child. (Pk). Usage: áa-yieŋ indicates 'to do surgery, do an operation'; áa-saj or áa-shah 'to make an incision'; áa-dany ɛnk-ɔ́shɔkɛ 'to do any kind of abdominal surgery' (lit: 'to burst the stomach'); áa-bulu ɛn-kɛ́ráí 'to deliver a child by Caesarean section'.. See: a-yíáŋ ‘To slaughter’; a-cɔ́p [North] ‘To slaughter’.

a-yɨ́ɛ́r Variant: a-yíér. [North]: a-yíár. [North]: iyɨ̂rr. [Chamus]: iyɨ̂r. v.prog. To cook (in any fashion except roasting over an open fire). Ɛyɨɛrɨ́ta enkítok ɛndáa naɨshɔ́ ɨlɔmɔ́n. The woman is cooking food to give to the visitors. Káyɨ́ɛ́rɨ́ta. I am cooking. (frying, boiling, in oven, in suferia) (SN). Kɛ́tɛyɨara nkírí ɛɨtʉ́ épêj. She cooked (boiled) the meat; she didn't roast it. (SN). Ɨ́tɛ́yɨ́ára ŋolé. You cooked it yesterday. (SN).

a-yierú v.dir. To make sth. from cooking (eg. ghee from milk). Ɛtɨ́ráɨ́ áayieru ɛɨlátá. Fat is being made from meat (by cooking the meat). (Pk).

a-yierá v.mid. To be cooked, be cooking. Ɛyɨ́ɛ́ra ɨnkiríŋ. The meats are cooked already. (A). Kɛ́yɨ́ára. It is cooked. / It is cooking. (SN). See: a-ɨtɔ́k ‘To cook fully, boil’; a-péj ‘To roast’; a-itokitokíé ‘To boil’; a-isúí ‘To singe’; a-irowuajé ‘To warm’.

a-yíét v. To stretch, pull. Míntóki ayíét ɛnkɨlâ amʉ̂ kérúóyo. Stop stretching the cloth because it will be spoiled. (Pk). Óre táatá íné wúéjî néyīētū ɨ́nâ kɨ́páátá. And that stage pulls that initial ceremony.

a-yietaá v.dir. To pull away. Ɛgɨ́ra osíkíria ayiataá inkɨkʉ́. The donkey is pulling tree branches for fencing. (Pk).

a-yietú v.dir. To pull towards. Ɛgɨ́ra ɔlpáyian ayietú ɨnkɨkʉ́ áŋ. The man is pulling branches (of trees) for fencing the home. (Pk). See: a-ɨsɨɨ́d ‘To pull into line’; a-ɨkʉrtʉt ‘To drag’.

a-yiɛtaá v.dir. To pull away, pull out, pull off. See: a-yíét ‘To stretch, pull’; yiɛtárotó [North] ‘Pulling away’.

yiɛtárotó [North] [North] Nom sg: yiɛtárotó. n. [North] Pulling away. See: a-yiɛtaá ‘Pulling’.

yiɛtɛ́t [North] [North] Nom sg: yíɛ́tɛt. [North] Acc pl: yiɛtɛ́ta. [North] Nom pl: yíɛ́tɛta. n. [North] Long rope made of animal skins, used for pulling thorn branches. See: a-yíét ‘To stretch, pull’; l-gíitâ [North] ‘Rope, string’.

a-yietú v. 1 • To scream. Míntóki ayietú amʉ̂ mmɛɛ́ta entokí nɨ́kɨ́nyá. Stop screaming because nothing is going to attack you. (Pk).

2 • [North] To pull.

e-yietúnotó n. Pulling towards. See: a-yíét ‘To stretch, pull’.

yietût v. Slow, sluggish. See: púrpur ‘Sluggish’.

a-yíéú In some suffixed forms: -yieun. v.prog. 1 • To want or desire some situation or thing. The object may be an NP, or a complement clause in the n- inflected form. Áyīēū náōk kʉlɛ́. I want to drink milk. (W). Íyīēū níōk kʉlɛ́. You want to drink milk. (W). Eyíéú néōk kʉlɛ́. He wants to drink milk. (W). Kíiyíéú níkiok kʉlɛ́. We want to drink milk. (W). Íyíéúu nílepilépe ɛnkɨ́tɛ́ŋ. Y'all want to milk a cow. (W). Ɛgɨ́ra oshî táatá ayieú ɛndáa. These days she is coming to want food. (Pk). Ɛkáyíéú ɛndáa amʉ̂ kááta ɛsʉ́mash I want food because I am hungry. (Pk). Káyīēū nípúópuo. I want you (pl) to go. Káyīēū níkipuópuo. I want us to go. (Pk). Káyīēū nɨ́shɔmɔ́ Naɨrɔ́bɨ. I want you to have gone to Nairobi. (Pk). Áyīēū olmushéle. I want rice. (W). Áyīēū nélōtū tɛnákatá. I want him to come now. (Pk). Áyíéúta nálō sukúul. I want to go to school. (Pk). Áyīēū náɨ́nyáŋʉ ɨlnyɛ́́nya I want to buy tomatos. (W). Kéírówua ɛlɛ́ ɔɨŋɔnɨ́ kéyīēū néítiamákɨ inkíshú. This bull wants to mate with the cows. (Pk). Kéyíéú alɛ́ tʉ́ŋání nérrēsh ŋúési. This man wants to trap animals. (Pk). Mayíéú náló inkíshú táatá amʉ̂ alo aɨsʉmásh. I don't want to go look after cows today because I will feel hungry. (W). Mayíéú náɨ́rʉ́ra. I do not want to sleep. (W). Miyíéú nɨ́rʉ́ra. You do not want to sleep. (W). Mikíiyíéú nɨ́kɨrʉra. We do not want to sleep. (W). Éítúáni taá dúóó táatá ɨmbáâ, ámaâ kinotô pɔɔkɨ́ tókî nikíiyíéú. Things are beautiful today, since we have gotten all that we wanted. (Pk). See: a-ŋúár ‘To desire’.

2 • To require, need. Néyīēū naá dúóó tɛnáa ɨ́áta lengo fulani And they require you to have a certain aim. Óre ɛnaiyíéúnī náa áísīdāī. That which is required is good.

3 • To be under obligation; should. Kéyīēū néórí ɛnâ tulúgumî amʉ̂ ɛ́ɨ́pʉ́tá bɔɔ́. We better sweep this old dry powdered dung because it has filled the homestead. (Pk). Kéyīēū náa ɔltʉŋáni lɨ́nyɔ́rr. It should be a person that you like.

a-yieúnoyú To be expected. Óre ɛná síánkiki nɛɨtʉ́ elotú aɨshɔ́ ɨnkɛ́ra ɛndáa enayieúnoyú dúóó. This young lady did not come and give food to the children as expected. enayieúni the way it was desired (expected).

a-yieú v.incep. To get to want.

e-yíéúnotó n. 1 • Will, desire, want, wish. eyíéúnotó ɛ́ nkáí the will of God.

2 • [North] Need. See: a-yíéú ‘To want’.

yieyíô Variant: yieyioô; yíéyio. Nom sg: yíéyíô. Acc pl: ɨ-nɔɔ́ yieyíô. Nom pl: ɨ-nɔ́ɔ yiyío. [Chamus] Acc sg: yeyô. Variant: yeyíô. [North] Acc sg: yieyîô. Variant: yiééyio. [North] Nom sg: yíéyîô. [North] Acc pl: oóyieyîô. [North] Nom pl: óoyieyîô. [North] Vocative singular: yíéyio. n.voc. 1 • Mother, mom. Primarily used vocatively (in the Nominative case), though can be used in a non-vocative way (in the Accusative) to refer to one's own mother. A wife also calls her mother-in-law by this name. Yíéyíô, takúénya. Mom, Greetings. (Pk).

2 • Term of address used by a man for his mother-in-law. See: ŋútúnyí ‘Your mother’; ŋotó ‘Mother of (s.o.)’; ŋɔ́tɔ́nyɛ́ ‘His/her mother’; pakérr ‘Mother-in-law’.

yíéyio n.voc. Term of address used by a man for his mother-in-law. See: pakérr ‘Mother-in-law’; yieyíô ‘Mother’.

a-yíóg v.prog. To hiccup; hicough. Eyiogíto ɛnkɛráí The child is hiccupping. See: a-ɨnyɨ́g ‘To have dry heaves; hiccup’.

a-yioló [North]: yielo. In some suffixed forms: yiolor. v.s. 1 • To know s.o. or sth. Émiyiolólo doí iyíóók? You do not know us? Ɛkáyíólo ɛnkʉ́tʉ́k ɔɔ́ lMáásâɨ̂ I know (can speak) the language of the Maasai. (Pk). Kéyíólóí. [kéyyólóy] He is known. (S). Meyíólōī ɛnkárná éne wúéji. The name of this place is unknown. (W).

2 • To know sth. Etoíwuokí kʉlɔ́ ayíók pɔkɨ́ra ɛnkɔlɔ́ŋ nabô. Náa káyíólo ajó alɔ osíókí ayamɨshɔ́. These two boys were born at the same time. And I know which (of them) will marry first. (W). Emúóyíáa iloiŋók, káke mayíólo ajó alɔ taá osíókí aishíú. The bulls are sick, but I don't know which one will heal first. (W).

3 • To know how. Kéyíólo alɛ́ tʉ́ŋání atarrésho ŋúési. This man knows how to trap wild animals. (Pk). Note: a-yioló can take an NP object or a complement in the subjunctive form. cf. the ungrammatical simple infinitive complement form: *fv:Kéyíólo alɛ́ tʉ́ŋání arrɛ́sh ŋúési.

a-yiolóú v.incep. [àyyòlów] To come to the knowledge of; realize, recognize, learn. Ɨ́roríéki ɛnkʉ́tʉ́k ɔɔ́ lMáásâɨ̂ peê ayíólou. Speak to me in the Maasai language so that I learn. (W). Ɨ́roríé nɨnyɛ́ ɛnkʉ́tʉ́k ɔɔ́ lMáásâɨ̂ peê eyiolôû. Speak to her in the Maasai language so that she learns. (W). Ágɨ́ra ayiolóú ajó áɨ́tɔrrɔ̂k kʉná kíshu. I am realizing that these cows are bad. Néyiolouní áajo eétūō ɛnadúóó âŋ. It will be known/realized that the afore-mentioned family has come [to look for a girl to marry]. See: a-júrr ‘To investigate, study’.

yiolóti Nom sg: yíóloti. Acc pl: yiolót. Nom pl: yiolót. adj. Well-known. Éíyiolóti ɔltʉ́ŋání pɔ́ɔ̄kɨ̄ sídaîn inkásiasîn ɛ́nyɛná. The man is well-known for all his good deeds. (Pk).

a-yiolóú v.incep. To come to know, learn, recognize, realize. See: a-yioló ‘To know’.

e-yioloúnotó [North] Nom sg: yioloúnotó. [North] Acc pl: yiolounót. [North] Nom pl: yiolounót. n. Knowledge, understanding. See: a-yioloú ‘To recognize, understand’.

a-yíú [North]: ayu. In some suffixed forms: -yiun. v.s. 1 • To be born.

2 • To give birth. Ɛgɨ́ra ayíú ɛntánkɨlɛ ɛnkɛ́ráɨ́. The woman is giving birth to a child. (W). Eyiúní ɛnkɛ́ráɨ́. The child is being born. (W). Note: This verb cannot take the Progressive. See: a-íú ‘To bear offspring’.