Kiai language
Introduction '''Kiai''' is an Oceanic language spoken by about 450 people in the central highlands of Espiritu Santo island (Sanma Province), in Vanuatu.
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.
Notes
References * Vara Kiai: a Kiai wordlist / Tomas Ludvigson, Auckland N.Z. : Dept. of Anthropology, University of Auckland, 1989* Crowley, Terry. 2000.The language situation in Vanuatu. ''Current Issues in Language Planning'', 1(1). 47–132.