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.

This article about Southern Oceanic languages is a stub.