Voice of Maa
The Maa language, spoken by the Maasai people, carries the rich oral traditions, identity, and cultural heritage of one of East Africa’s most iconic communities..
Overview
Maa is an Eastern Nilotic language that is spoekn by the Maasai in Kenya and Tanzania. The name Maasai essentially means “those who speak Maa”. It is spoken in pastoral settings, community meetings, and celebratory gatherings. The language is written using a Latin‑based orthography, and multiple dialect names are in use (for example, Purko, Kisonko, Arusha, Loitai).
Sample Audio
Transcript: Habari, unaendeleaje? (Hello, how are you doing?)
Writing system
The Maa language uses a writing system based on the Roman alphabet, which is common in educational materials, community publications, and translations. Long vowels are typically shown by repeating the letter (such as “aa” or “oo”), while some scholarly works may include special vowel symbols like ɛ and ɔ to reflect more precise pronunciation. In most community contexts, however, simpler Latin letters are preferred for ease of use. Although tone plays an important role in meaning, it is generally left out in everyday writing. This approach makes the language more accessible to general readers, while allowing linguists and educators to include tonal markers when needed for clarity.
What’s Here Now
Urban Dialogue
Transcript: Habari, unaendeleaje? (Hello, how are you doing?)
Market Talk
Transcript: Habari, unaendeleaje? (Hello, how are you doing?)
Community Radio
Transcript: Habari, unaendeleaje? (Hello, how are you doing?)
Why It Matters for AI
Bukusu is under‑represented online; adding clear, community‑reviewed audio can help build tools for local broadcasting, education, and assistive technologies.
Speech Recognition
Speech recognition datasets teach AI systems to accurately understand and transcribe African languages. By training models on diverse accents and tones, we make voice technology more inclusive and effective for real-world communication.
Translation
Access high-quality Maa translation datasets featuring paired text and voice samples. These resources support language research, model training, and cultural preservation. Sign in to request access or contribute your own translations.
Information Access
Information access datasets help AI systems bridge the language gap, making online knowledge, education, and public information available in African languages. They promote digital inclusion and empower communities through localized, AI-driven access to information.
Maa Datasets
Maa Corpus v1.0
Version: 1.0
Size: 2GB
License: CC-BY 4.0
DOI: 10.1234/swahili.001
Maa Corpus v1.0
Version: 1.0
Size: 2GB
License: CC-BY 4.0
DOI: 10.1234/swahili.001