koine

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

noun

(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.
a lingua franca.

Origin of koine

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

Example sentences from the Web for koine

  • 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.

    Roman Holidays and Others |W. D. Howells

British Dictionary definitions for koine (1 of 2)

koine
/ (ˈkɔɪniː) /

noun

a common language among speakers of different languages; lingua franca

Word Origin for koine

from Greek koinē dialektos common language

British Dictionary definitions for koine (2 of 2)

Koine
/ (ˈkɔɪniː) /

noun

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