Kpɩnɛ (latɛŋ kʊnʊŋ taa lɛ animalis pʊ-tɔbʊʊ wezuu tʊ), kɛ wezuu kpɛlɛkʊʊ tʊmɩyɛ tɛ, cɔlɩɩ cɔlɩtʊ wɛɛ taa pʊtʊ weyi ɛwɛna wezuu nɛ ɛtɔkɩ yɔ. Pɩwɛɛ mbʊ kpɩna ɖɔɔ piŋ nɛ paa ŋgbaɣ tiiye nɖɩ yɔ ŋnaɣ se naayɛ kpaɣ lɩ ɖama nɛ awɛ mbʊ com com. Kpɩna yɔɔ kpɛlɛkʊʊ tʊmɩyɛ tʊ Paul Bert (pɩnzɩ 1833 ŋtalɩ 1886), lɩzɩna ɖooo kpaɣɖʊ 19 alɩwaatʊ taa nɛ ɛwɩlɩ mbʊ pɩwɛ kpɩnɛ taa yɔ. Kpɩnɛ wɛna lotu, ɛwɛna kifezinau, ɛwɛna hɩm hɩyaɣ, ɛwɛna calɩm ɖɔnɛ hola, ɛwɛna ñʊʊ. Ɖɔɖɔ ɛzɩ kpɩna lɛɛna yɔ paa kpɩnɛ nɖɩ ɖɩwɛna lɩm kɛtɛɖaɣ, helim nɛ tɔɔnaɣ.

Ɖooo pɩwɛ lɔŋ pɩlɩna wɛɛ cɔlɔ, ajɛyɛ wɛtʊ, sɔnzɩ nɛ kpɩnɛ kɛ mbʊ yɔ pʊtɔma kpaŋ kpɩnɛ yaa ɖɩɣa ñɩnɖɛ, kpɩnɛ nandʊ ñɩnɖɛ nɛ kpɩnɛ kɩtɩŋɩyɛ ɛzɩ haɣ mbʊ yɔ yaa lakʊ haɣ halɩ pɩkɔɔ pɩsɩna ɖɩɣa tʊŋ.Fransɩɩ ɛjaɖɛ wɛʊ yɔ kpɩnɛ kɩɖɔɖɔyɛ wɛna tʊ nɛ ɛlɛ cɔŋna ɖɩ-yɔɔ. Ɛjaɖɛ nɖɩ ɖɩ-taa peeɖe paɣtʊ takayaɣ taa pama se yee ɛyʊ ɛɖʊ nesi kpɩnɛ naɖɩyɛ yɔɔ yem nɛ ɛlabɩ-ɖɩ kpɛʊ kpɛʊ kɔyɔ pɔhɔŋ ɛ-naŋgbaŋʊʊ ɛzɩ patʊ pɔzʊʊ yɔ. Pɩkɔma pɩnaɣ 1976 lɛ, paɣtʊ yɔɔdʊʊ se kpɩnɛ wɛ ɖɔɖɔ ɛzɩ ɛyʊ mbʊ yɔ lɛ pɩpɔzʊʊ se pɔcɔna ɖɩ-yɔɔ ɛzɩ paɣtʊ pɔzʊʊ yɔ.

Wɩsɩ ɖɩlɩyɛ ajɛyɛ taa lɛ Aristote ñɛtɛyɩ kedeŋa taa kpɩna hɔɔlɩŋ naalɛ pɩ nɛ tɩŋ. Lɩmaɣza ana a-taa ɖɩcɔna kɔyɔ kpɩna kaawɛʊ aawɛɛ se awazɩ ɛyʊ ɛnʊ weyi ñazɩɣ-yɛ yɔ kpaɣ patɩɩ lɩzɩɣ ɛjaɖɛ yɔ.