koine

koi·ne

[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.

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

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World English Dictionary
koine (ˈkɔɪniː) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
a common language among speakers of different languages; lingua franca
 
[from Greek koinē dialektos common language]

00:10
Koine is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Koine (ˈkɔɪniː) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
(sometimes not capital) the Koine 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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

koine
1913, common literary dialect of Gk. in Roman and early medieval period, from Gk. fem. sing. of koinos "common, ordinary."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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