Temnen.adj.

1791 A. M. Falconbridge Let. 8 June in Narr. Two Voy. Sierra Leone (1802) 81 The Burees..were conquered and drove away to other parts of the country by the Timmany's.

1792 A. M. Falconbridge Let. 10 Feb. in Narr. Two Voy. Sierra Leone (1802) 27 In every house I was accosted by whoever we found at home, in the Timmany language Currea Yaa, which signifies—How do you do, mother?

1803 T. Winterbottom Acct. Native Africans Sierra Leone I. iv. 65 The largest kind [of pepper] is distinguished..in Timmanee, by kik bengbay pootoo; and in Soosoo, by foorootoo bengbay.

1803 T. Winterbottom Acct. Native Africans Sierra Leone I. v. 80 Timanee towns..have Ro in general prefixed to them, as Ro-mak-baynee, a town where they finish things.

1825 A. G. Laing Trav. W. Afr. iv. 200 The manner of courtship among the Korankos is exactly the same as among the Timannees.

1841 Penny Cycl. XXI. 503/1 The Timannees occupy a country extending 90 miles from east to west, and 55 from north to south.

1850 T. E. Poole Life, Scenery & Customs Sierra Leone & Gambia II. xvii. 274 He gave himself up to the most diligent study of the Timmanah language.

1861 C. F. Schlenker Coll. Temne Traditions p. iii The signification of the term: Témne seems to be ‘an old man himself’. They derive it..from o-tem, ‘an old man, an old gentleman’, to which is affixed the reflexive suffix -ne, ‘self’; because they believe that the Temne nation will ever exist.

1887 Encycl. Brit. XXII. 44/2 The following..can be distinctly classified:—Mandingos, 1190; Timmanehs, 7443 [etc.].

1903 J. J. Crooks Hist. Sierra Leone ix. 121 Many Timini children were carefully brought up according to the Mohammedan creed.

1911 Encycl. Brit. XXV. 55/1 Sierra Leone is inhabited by various negro tribes, the chief being the Timni, the Sulima, the Susu and the Mendi.

1916 H. O. Newland Sierra Leone iii. 28 The name of the village is essentially a reminder of the old Temne domination when Kwaia..country embraced all this territory.

1916 N. W. Thomas Anthropol. Rep. on Sierra Leone i. i. 7 The remaining languages are Soudanese, and fall into two main groups, prefix and non-prefix tongues. To the former..belong (a) Timne, (b) Limba, [etc.].

1926 F. W. H. Migeod View Sierra Leone i. iii. 18 The Temne influence is so great that practically all the Bullom north of Freetown speak Temne.

1957 M. Banton West Afr. City iii. 54 The Temne, conservative as he is in many matters, has a readiness to copy certain new ways.

1957 W. M. Hailey Afr. Surv. (rev. ed.) iii. 104 In the Protectorate Mende is the language generally used in education, but Temne and the Kono dialect of Vai are used in mission schools.

1965 P. Strevens Papers in Lang. ix. 114 Within the area..are spoken Temne and Mande languages in Sierra Leone, [etc.].

1980 E. G. Wilson John Clarkson vi. 81 Alexander Falconbridge..had been prevailed upon..to return to Sierra Leone where his experience with the Temne people would pave the way for the immigrant fleet.

1980 E. G. Wilson John Clarkson vi. 82 John Clarkson could soothe Falconbridge and win the confidence of the Temne as well.