Kiai | |
---|---|
Fortsenal | |
Vara Kiai | |
Native to | Vanuatu |
Region | Espiritu Santo Island |
Native speakers | 450 (2001) [1] |
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 |
Kiai is an Oceanic language spoken by about 450 people in the central highlands of Espiritu Santo island ( Sanma Province), in Vanuatu. [2]
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]
Official languages | |||||||||||||||||||
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Indigenous languages ( Southern Oceanic and Polynesian) |
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