name · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkɔɪneɪ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkɔɪniː/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/kɔɪˈneɪ/
General-American:/ˈkɔɪˌneɪ/
General-American:/ˈkɔɪˌni/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪ
1
name
Meaning 1
The “common” Greek language that developed and flourished between 300 B.C.E. and 300 C.E. (the time of the Roman Empire), and from which Modern Greek descended. It was based on the Attic and Ionian dialects of Ancient Greek.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
A linguistic variety that has developed in supraregional contact between speakers of various interrelated dialects, typically in such a way that features shared by several dialects prevail and those of limited distribution are avoided.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A lingua franca.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: interlanguage
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a common language used by speakers of different languages
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Koine is a dialect of ancient Greek that was the lingua franca of the empire of Alexander the Great and was widely spoken throughout the eastern Mediterranean area in Roman times
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lingua franca, interlanguage
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: language, linguistic communication
5
noun
Meaning 5
a Greek dialect that flourished under the Roman Empire
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Greek, Hellenic, Hellenic language
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek Κοινή (Koinḗ), from ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος (hē koinḕ diálektos, “the common dialect”), from κοινός (koinós, “shared, common, public, general, ordinary, usual”). Doublet of koinon.
Borrowed from Ancient Greek κοινή (koinḗ), feminine form of κοινός (koinós, “common, general”). Doublet of koinon.
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
կոյնե
(koyne)
— common Greek language
Catalan:
koiné
— common Greek language
Catalan:
grec koiné
— common Greek language
Czech:
koiné
— common Greek language
Danish:
koine
— common Greek language
Dutch:
Koinè
— common Greek language
Esperanto:
kojneo
— common Greek language
Estonian:
koinee
— common Greek language
Finnish:
koinee
— common Greek language
French:
koinè
— common Greek language
German:
Koine
— common Greek language
Greek:
Ελληνιστική Κοινή
(Ellinistikí Koiní)
— common Greek language
Ancient Greek:
Κοινή
(Koinḗ)
— common Greek language
Hindi:
कोइने
(koine)
— common Greek language
Hungarian:
koiné
— common Greek language
Italian:
koinè
— common Greek language
Japanese:
コイネー
(Koinē)
— common Greek language
Korean:
코이네 그리스어
(Koine Geuriseueo)
— common Greek language
Korean:
공통 그리스어
(gongtong Geuriseueo)
— common Greek language
Norwegian Bokmål:
koiné
— common Greek language
Norwegian Nynorsk:
koiné
— common Greek language
Persian:
یونانی کوینه
(Yūnānī-ye Koyne)
— common Greek language
Portuguese:
coiné
— common Greek language
Portuguese:
koiné
— common Greek language
Portuguese:
koine
— common Greek language
Romanian:
koine
— common Greek language
Russian:
койне́
(kojné)
— common Greek language
Serbo-Croatian:
коине̑
— common Greek language
Serbo-Croatian:
koinȇ
— common Greek language
Spanish:
koiné
— common Greek language
Spanish:
coiné
— common Greek language
Swedish:
koine
— common Greek language
Chinese Mandarin:
共同語 /共同语
(gòng tóng yǔ)
— regional language that becomes standard
Danish:
koinesprog
— regional language that becomes standard
Danish:
koine
— regional language that becomes standard
French:
koinè
— regional language that becomes standard
German:
Koine
— regional language that becomes standard
Norwegian Bokmål:
koinéspråk
— regional language that becomes standard
Norwegian Nynorsk:
koinéspråk
— regional language that becomes standard
Polish:
koine
— regional language that becomes standard
Portuguese:
koiné
— regional language that becomes standard
Spanish:
koiné
— regional language that becomes standard
