koine

American  

[koi-ney, koi-ney] / kɔɪˈneɪ, ˈkɔɪ neɪ /

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 British  

/ ˈkɔɪniː /

noun

1. (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

---

koine ² British  

/ ˈkɔɪniː /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of koine

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

Example Sentences

That is, my dears, 'The woman you would marry is either handsome or ugly: if handsome, she is koine,—namely, you don't have her to yourself; if ugly, she is poine,—that is, a fury.'

From Project Gutenberg

That is, my dears, 'The woman you would marry is either handsome or ugly: if handsome, she is koine,—namely, you don't have her to yourself; if ugly, she is /poine/,—that is, a fury.'

From Project Gutenberg