Kiai language

Kiai is an Oceanic language spoken by about 450 people in the central highlands of Espiritu Santo island (Sanma Province), in Vanuatu.^[2]

Kiai
Fortsenal
Vara Kiai
Native to	Vanuatu
Region	Espiritu Santo Island
Native speakers	450 (2001)[1]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Oceanic Southern Oceanic North-Central Vanuatu North Vanuatu Espiritu Santo Kiai
Official status
Official language in	Vanuatu
Language codes
ISO 639-3	frt
Glottolog	fort1240
ELP	Kiai
Kiai is not endangered according to the classification system of the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Name

The name Kiai derives from kiai, meaning "no", due to a trend in the area to name languages based on their word for "no", used as a linguistic shibboleth. The language is called vara Kiai (from vara "speech, language"), i.e. 'the language that says kiai [for no]".

The same language has been named Fortsenal, based on the name of the village (locally Vorozenale) where the speakers live.^[3]