# ki ni
## Yoruba
### Etymology

From kí (“what”) +‎ ni (“to be, is”), Cognate with Igbo gịnī (“what”)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kí nĩ̄/

### Pronoun

kí ni
* (interrogative) what is?
    Kí ni? ― What?
    Nítorí kí ni? ― Because of what?
    Kí lo sọ? ― What did you say?
    Kí ni ta ni rà? ― What did who buy?

#### Synonyms

Yoruba Varieties and Languages - kí ni (“interrogative what”) :
| view map; |||||
| Language Family | Variety Group | Variety/Language | Location | Words |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Southeast Yoruba | Ìdànrè | Ìdànrè | kí |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Southeast Yoruba | Ìjẹ̀bú | Ìjẹ̀bú Òde | kí |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Southeast Yoruba | Ìjẹ̀bú | Ìkòròdú | kí |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Southeast Yoruba | Ìjẹ̀bú | Ṣágámù | kí |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Southeast Yoruba | Ìjẹ̀bú | Ẹ̀pẹ́ | kí |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Southeast Yoruba | Ifọ́n | Ifọ́n | kí |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Southeast Yoruba | Ìkálẹ̀ | Òkìtìpupa | kí |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Southeast Yoruba | Ìlàjẹ | Mahin | kí |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Southeast Yoruba | Oǹdó | Oǹdó | kí |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Southeast Yoruba | Ọ̀wọ̀ | Ọ̀wọ̀ | kí |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Southeast Yoruba | Usẹn | Usẹn | kí |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Ìtsẹkírì | Ìtsẹkírì | Ìwẹrẹ | nikọ́ |
| Proto-Itsekiri-SEY | Olùkùmi | Olùkùmi | Ugbódù | kóhùnrè |
| Proto-Yoruba | Central Yoruba | Èkìtì | Àdó Èkìtì | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Central Yoruba | Èkìtì | Àkúrẹ́ | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Central Yoruba | Èkìtì | Òdè Èkìtì | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Central Yoruba | Èkìtì | Ọ̀tùn Èkìtì | kí, kín nì, kí à, kí rìn, kí ìn |
| Proto-Yoruba | Central Yoruba | Èkìtì | Òmùò Èkìtì | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Central Yoruba | Èkìtì | Awó Èkìtì | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Àwórì | Ìgbẹsà | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Àwórì | Ọ̀tà | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Àwórì | Agége | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Àwórì | Ìlogbò Erémi | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Èkó | Èkó | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Ìbàdàn | Ìbàdàn | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Ìbàràpá | Igbó Òrà | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Ìbọ̀lọ́ | Òṣogbo | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Ìbọ̀lọ́ | Ọ̀fà | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Ìlọrin | Ìlọrin | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Oǹkó | Ìtẹ̀síwájú LGA | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Oǹkó | Ìwàjówà LGA | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Oǹkó | Kájọlà LGA | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Oǹkó | Ìsẹ́yìn LGA | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Oǹkó | Ṣakí West LGA | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Oǹkó | Atisbo LGA | kín ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Oǹkó | Ọlọ́runṣògo LGA | kín ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Ọ̀yọ́ | Ọ̀yọ́ | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Ọ̀yọ́ | Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Ọ̀yọ́ | Ìkirè | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Ọ̀yọ́ | Ìwó | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Standard Yorùbá | Nàìjíríà | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northwest Yoruba | Standard Yorùbá | Bɛ̀nɛ̀ | kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Northeast Yoruba/Okun | Owé | Kabba | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Ana | Sokode | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Cábɛ̀ɛ́ | Cábɛ̀ɛ́ | kíí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Cábɛ̀ɛ́ | Tchaourou | kíí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Ìcà | Agoua | kéé |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Ìdàácà | Igbó Ìdàácà | kéko, kéé |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Ọ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí-Ìjè | Ìjàká | kéé, bé, kẹ, ko |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Ifɛ̀ | Akpáré | kí, kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Ifɛ̀ | Atakpamé | kí, kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Ifɛ̀ | Boko | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Ifɛ̀ | Est-Mono | kí, kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Ifɛ̀ | Moretan | kí |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Ifɛ̀ | Tchetti | kí, kí ni |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Kura | Awotébi | kɛ́li |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Kura | Partago | kɛ́lì |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Mɔ̄kɔ́lé | Kandi | mìĩ́ |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Northern Nago | Kambole | kéí, ké |
| Proto-Yoruba | Ede Languages/Southwest Yoruba | Northern Nago | Manigri | kéí |
| Note: This amalgamation of terms comes from a number of different academic papers focused on the unique varieties and languages spoken in the Yoruboid dialectal continuum which extends from eastern Togo to southern Nigeria. The terms for spoken varieties, now deemed dialects of Yorùbá in Nigeria (i.e. Southeast Yorùbá, Northwest Yorùbá, Central Yorùbá, and Northeast Yorùbá), have converged with those of Standard Yorùbá leading to the creation of what can be labeled Common Yorùbá (Funṣọ Akere, 1977). It can be assumed that the Standard Yorùbá term can also be used in most Nigerian varieties alongside native terms, especially amongst younger speakers. This does not apply to the other Nigerian Yoruboid languages of Ìṣẹkírì and Olùkùmi, nor the Èdè Languages of Benin and Togo. |||||