Temne (also
Themne, Timne; ) is a language of the
Mel branch of Niger–Congo, spoken in
Sierra Leone by about 2 million first speakers. One of the country's most widely spoken languages, it is spoken by 30% of the country’s population. It also serves as a
lingua franca for an additional 1,500,000 people living in areas near the
Temne people. It is closely related to the neighboring
Kissi language.