In this study we present a complete first-order Raman scattering spectrum of paramagnetic phase of MnTe₂- a material, where new type of spin texture induced by noncoplanar antiferromagnetic ordering below the Néel temperature (T_N ≈ 90 K) gives rise to unconventional scenario of magnetism. Basic properties of all five phonon modes (A_g, E_g and three T_g) predicted by the group theory have been successfully approached through polarization, excitation and temperature dependent measurements. In particular, the ever-missing phonon mode of T_g symmetry has been unambiguously resolved in the room temperature Raman spectrum at approximately 107 cm⁻¹, just 1.5 cm⁻¹ higher in frequency compared to the E_g mode. Density functional theory calculations reproduce the observed Raman-active phonon spectrum and support the assignment of all five first-order Raman modes, including the near-degeneracy of the E_g and one of the T_g vibrations. The calculations further reveal a dense manifold of low-energy antiferromagnetic spin configurations, separated from the ground state by only a few meV per formula unit. Furthermore, strong signals of inelastically scattered light from the paramagnetic (PM) phase of MnTe₂ were acquired with long wavelength excitations, i.e. 633 nm and 785 nm, revealing the 2A_g overtone at approx. 360 cm⁻¹. The enhanced absorption of the light in the near infrared range could be a putative reason behind the anomalous angular dependence of scattered intensity of the highest frequency T_g phonon mode (183 cm⁻¹) measured in PM MnTe₂ with parallelly aligned polarizers. Finally, upon cooling just below the T_N, the measured properties of phonons remained basically unperturbed by the incipient long-range antiferromagnetic ordering.