KʌThemnɛ
Themne
Atlantic-Congo (Mel)
Themne (KʌThemnɛ) is one of the two largest Sierra Leonean languages alongside Mende, with ~1.5M speakers in the northern half of the country (Bombali, Tonkolili, Port Loko, Kambia, Karene districts). Part of the Mel branch of Atlantic-Congo (Niger-Congo), it is unrelated to most other major West African languages — Mel languages are restricted to Sierra Leone, Liberia, and adjacent areas. Has a grammatical noun-class system marked by class prefixes (kʌ-, ka-, m-, etc.) typical of Atlantic-Congo. Tonal language. The Themne were one of the major pre-colonial polities of the area; today Themne speakers form an important political and cultural constituency in Sierra Leone.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Themne
Water
mant
/mant/
Fire
anang
/anaŋ/
Sun
arɛ
/arɛ/
Moon
arai
/arai/
Star
woray
/woraj/
Mother
ya
/ja/
Father
pa
/pa/
I
mi
/mi/
You
mʌ
/mʌ/
Name
es
/ɛs/
Eye
ari
/ari/
Hand
anpa
/anpa/
Heart
ka-yɔn
/kajɔn/
Love
ka-haŋkə
/kahaŋkə/
Tree
kʌ-ant
/kʌant/
House
anseth
/ansetʰ/
Dog
kabul
/kabul/
Cat
kanaŋ
/kanaŋ/
Eat
ði
/ði/
Drink
di
/di/
One
piɲ
/piɲ/
Two
ka-rəŋ
/rəŋ/
Hello
seke
/seke/
Thank you
sɔŋ
/sɔŋ/
Good
lɔŋ
/lɔŋ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Mel) languages
| Meaning | Themne | Aukan (Ndyuka) | Sranan Tongo | Meta' | Tok Pisin | Krio | Yanbian Korean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mant /mant/ | watra /watra/ | watra /watra/ | mə /mə/ | wara /waɾa/ | wata /ˈwata/ | 물 /mul/ |
| Fire | anang /anaŋ/ | faya /faja/ | faya /faja/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ | paia /paja/ | faya /ˈfaja/ | 불 /pul/ |
| Sun | arɛ /arɛ/ | son /soŋ/ | son /son/ | nyam /ɲam/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | 해 /hɛ/ |
| Moon | arai /arai/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | 달 /tal/ |
| Star | woray /woraj/ | sitari /siˈtari/ | stari /ˈstari/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | sta /sta/ | star /staː/ | 별 /pjʌl/ |
| Mother | ya /ja/ | mma /mːa/ | mama /mama/ | ma /ma/ | mama /mama/ | mama /ˈmama/ | 오마니 /omani/ |
| Father | pa /pa/ | tata /tata/ | papa /papa/ | ta /ta/ | papa /papa/ | papa /ˈpapa/ | 아바이 /abai/ |
| I | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | mə̀ /mə̀/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | 나 /na/ |
| You | mʌ /mʌ/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | ò /ò/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | 너 /nʌ/ |
| Name | es /ɛs/ | nen /nɛn/ | nen /nɛn/ | ə́ɲə́ /ə́ɲə́/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nɛm/ | 이름 /iɾɯm/ |
| Eye | ari /ari/ | ai /ai/ | ai /ai/ | dzi /dzi/ | ai /aj/ | ay /aj/ | 눈 /nun/ |
| Hand | anpa /anpa/ | ana /ana/ | anu /anu/ | boa /boa/ | han /han/ | an /an/ | 손 /son/ |
| Heart | ka-yɔn /kajɔn/ | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | mu /mu/ | bel /bel/ | at /at/ | 마음 /maɯm/ |
| Love | ka-haŋkə /kahaŋkə/ | lobi /lobi/ | lobi /lobi/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ | laikim /lajkim/ | lɛk /lɛk/ | 사랑 /saɾaŋ/ |
| Tree | kʌ-ant /kʌant/ | bon /boŋ/ | bon /boŋ/ | ti /ti/ | diwai /diwaj/ | tik /tik/ | 나무 /namu/ |
| House | anseth /ansetʰ/ | osu /osu/ | oso /oso/ | nda /nda/ | haus /haʊs/ | os /ɔs/ | 집 /tɕip̚/ |
| Dog | kabul /kabul/ | dagu /daɡu/ | dagu /daɡu/ | mbu /mbu/ | dok /dok/ | dɔg /dɔɡ/ | 개 /kɛ/ |
| Cat | kanaŋ /kanaŋ/ | poesi /pusi/ | poesi /pusi/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ | pusi /pusi/ | pus /pus/ | 고양이 /kojaŋi/ |
| Eat | ði /ði/ | nyan /ɲaŋ/ | nyan /ɲan/ | mé /me/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | it /it/ | 먹어 /mʌɡʌ/ |
| Drink | di /di/ | diingi /diːŋi/ | dringi /driŋi/ | nyo /ɲo/ | dring /dɾiŋ/ | drink /drɪŋk/ | 마셔 /maɕjʌ/ |
| One | piɲ /piɲ/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | mɔ /mɔ/ | wanpela /wanpɛla/ | wan /wan/ | 하나 /hana/ |
| Two | ka-rəŋ /rəŋ/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | bɛ́ /bɛ́/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | 둘 /tul/ |
| Hello | seke /seke/ | fa yu de /fa ju de/ | odi /odi/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ | halo /halo/ | kushɛ /kuˈʃɛ/ | 안녕하십니까 /annjʌŋhaɕimnik͈a/ |
| Thank you | sɔŋ /sɔŋ/ | gaantangi /ɡaːntaŋi/ | grantangi /ɡrantaŋi/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ | tenkyu /tɛŋkju/ | tɛnki /ˈtɛŋki/ | 고맙습니다 /komap̚s͈ɯmnida/ |
| Good | lɔŋ /lɔŋ/ | boon /boːŋ/ | bun /bun/ | mwa /mwa/ | gutpela /ɡutpɛla/ | gud /ɡud/ | 좋아 /tɕoa/ |
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