The literal meaning of the Greek word koine (κοινή) is "common". It is used in several senses:

• Koiné Greek (Κοινή Ἑλληνική), a Greek dialect that developed from the Attic dialect (of Athens) and became the spoken language of Greece at the time of the Empire of Alexander the Great. It became the lingua franca of the Roman Empire. The Koine was the original language of the New Testament, of the writings of the early Christian Church Fathers and of all of Greek literature for about ten centuries. See also: History of the Greek language.

• Koine Modern Greek is a term sometimes used to describe what in English is generally known as Standard Modern Greek.

• Lingua franca, a common language used by people with different native languages.

• A local dialect or language that becomes commonly used in a wider area, after it has lost its very specific local characteristics.

• A contact language like a pidgin or creole, but where the originating languages or dialects are mutually intelligible.

Koiné | Koiné | Koine | Koine | Koine