(ˈ)kȯi|nā also ˈkȯiˌnē noun
( -s )
Etymology: Greek koinē, from feminine of koinos common — more at co-
1. usually capitalized : the Greek language commonly spoken and written by the Greek-speaking population of eastern Mediterranean countries in the Hellenistic and Roman periods
2. : a dialect or language of a region, country, or people that has become the common or standard language of a larger area and of other peoples — compare lingua franca