Koine (Noun)
Meaning 1
A common language used by speakers of different languages; "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".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
A Greek dialect that flourished under the Roman Empire.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, which was the common language of the Mediterranean world at that time.
- Koine was the lingua franca of the ancient world, used for trade, commerce, and communication among people of different ethnicities.
- The use of Koine Greek in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, helped to spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean.
- Aristides' Encomium to Rome was written in elegant Koine, demonstrating the author's mastery of the dialect.
- Scholars have found evidence of Koine inscriptions on ancient Christian tombs and monuments, testifying to the widespread use of the dialect in the early Church.