koine

[ koi-ney, koi-ney ]

noun

1. (usually initial capital letter) an amalgam of Greek dialects, chiefly Attic and Ionic, that replaced the Classical Greek dialects in the Hellenistic period and flourished under the Roman Empire.
2. a lingua franca.

koine

¹

/ ˈkɔɪniː /

noun

1. a common language among speakers of different languages; lingua franca

Koine

²

/ ˈkɔɪniː /

noun

1. the Koine
   the Koine sometimes not capital the Ancient Greek dialect that was the lingua franca of the empire of Alexander the Great and was widely used throughout the E Mediterranean area in Roman times

Word History and Origins

Origin of koine¹

1910–15; < Greek koinḗ ( diálektos ) common (dialect); ceno- ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of koine¹

from Greek koinē dialektos common language

Example Sentences

He calls this degree stata forma,—a rational, mediocre sort of beauty, which is not liable to be either koine or poine.

From Project Gutenberg

The author, as already shown, writes in the smooth and easy Koine of a gifted and cultivated Jew of Palestine.

From Project Gutenberg

But as we were then leaving Koine, and were not yet melted with the grief of absence, I had the courage to resist their demand.

From Project Gutenberg