koine

koine Definition

koine (ko̵i nā′; ko̵i′nā′, -nē′)

noun

the language used throughout the Greek world, from Syria to Gaul, during the Hellenistic and Roman periods: its spoken form consisted of colloquial Attic, supplemented by borrowings from other dialects: the New Testament is written in the koine
a regional dialect or language that has become the common language of a larger area

Etymology: Gr (hē) koinē (dialektos), (the) common (dialect) < koinos: see coeno-

Koine Usage Examples

Converse of object

create: Creating a new town koine: children and language change in Milton Keynes.

Modifies a noun

culture: Recent reformulation of koine culture discards traditional periodisation and recasts social and ethnic dimensions.

Noun used with modifier

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