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
Words nearby koine
kohutuhutu,
koi,
koilocyte,
koilocytosis,
koilonychia,
koine,
koizumi,
koji,
kok-saghyz,
kokako,
kokand
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