What does koine mean?
Koine is the common form of Greek that emerged from the classical language during the Hellenistic period and spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean. Unlike a standardized literary language, Koine was the everyday language used for commerce, administration, scholarship, and religious texts across a multilingual world. It is especially important in the study of the Septuagint and the New Testament, whose authors generally wrote in Koine rather than in the classical Greek of fifth- and fourth-century Athens. Koine differs from classical Greek in its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, often simplifying older forms or developing new ones. The name comes from the Greek adjective koine, meaning “common.” Although it can be used broadly to describe the Hellenistic variety of Greek, scholars may distinguish more narrowly between literary Koine, the Septuagint's particular style, and the everyday forms represented in papyri and other contemporary documents.
nounKoine is the common form of Greek that developed from the classical language during the Hellenistic period and was used widely in the eastern Mediterranean. The term is especially associated with the Greek of the Septuagint and the New Testament.
- The common form of Greek spoken and written during the Hellenistic period, especially in the eastern Mediterranean.
- The Greek language used in the Septuagint and the New Testament.
"The translator rendered the Hebrew scriptures into Koine Greek for readers throughout the Hellenistic world."
"The manuscript preserves several readings in a slightly later form of Koine Greek."
"Many New Testament quotations reflect Koine rather than classical Greek usage."
A rare plural used when referring to distinct varieties or stages of Koine.
"The scholar compared the koines of the Septuagint and the New Testament."
Koine Greek was the everyday common language of the world in which the New Testament was written.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does koine come from?
The English word comes from Greek κοινή (koinē), a feminine adjective meaning “common” or “shared,” used of the common Greek language. Its use for the Hellenistic and early Christian variety of Greek developed from the idea of a language shared across the Greek-speaking world. The Greek term ultimately belongs to a wider Indo-European family of words associated with community and commonality, represented in English by forms such as common and community.
How koine is actually used
The term is primarily historical and linguistic. It is conventionally capitalized in English, and it is more precise than simply saying 'ancient Greek' when referring to the common Greek of the Hellenistic and Roman periods.