| Kiai | |
| Also Known As: | Fortsenal |
| Nativename: | Vara Kiai |
| States: | Vanuatu |
| Region: | Espiritu Santo Island |
| Speakers: | 450 |
| Date: | 2001 |
| Ref: | e18 |
| Nation: | Vanuatu |
| Familycolor: | Austronesian |
| Fam2: | Malayo-Polynesian |
| Fam3: | Oceanic |
| Fam4: | Southern Oceanic |
| Fam5: | North-Central Vanuatu |
| Fam6: | North Vanuatu |
| Fam7: | Espiritu Santo |
| Iso3: | frt |
| Glotto: | fort1240 |
| Glottorefname: | Kiai |
| Map: | Lang Status 99-NE.svg |
Kiai is an Oceanic language spoken by about 450 people in the central highlands of Espiritu Santo island (Sanma Province), in Vanuatu.[1]
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.[2]