.tiei tinto setuai kau?

The particle kau specifies that an instance of the preceding concept is demanded. That is to say that kau stands for a wh-word such as what, which, where, when and who.

.tiei tinto setuai kau?
What is your occupation?
(Lit.) You are profession what?

The position of kau matters: it changes the immediately preceding noun.

.liai mieko hituai.
He likes animals.

.liai mieko hituai kau?
What animal does he like?
(Lit.)
He loves animal-
what?

.liai kau mieko hituai?
Who likes animals?
(Lit.)
He-who loves animal
?

The particle kau can also apply to a verb, case in which it's better translated as how.

.liai mieko kau hituai?
 How does he
like animals?
(Lit.)
He loves-how animal
?


It's a little strange that a word can mean both what and how, but in Muai all specifiers potentially apply to both nouns and verbs. How would what apply to verb to love? The only way I see is as in "what kind of love" or "What kind of love does he love animal with?", but those ideas are much more easily expressed by how instead of what.

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