Temne (also Themne, Timne; IPA: [t̪emnɛ]) 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.