A Coptic language is the survive phase of the Egyptian languages, and is the directly descendent of the ancient Egyptian language written in the hieroglyphic, hieratic, and demotic scripts. A Coptic alphabet is written in the slightly limited form of the Greek alphabet, with a bit of letters (which alter from either either idiom to accent) deriving directly from demotic. As a residing language of day-to-day conversation, Coptic flourished from either circa AD 200 to 1100. It lives now when a liturgical language of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Classification
Coptic occurs as member of the Afro-Asiatic language family & a Egyptian language sub-family. In a Sahidic idiom, the language is referred to as ⲙⲛⲧⲣⲙⲛⲕⲏⲙⲉ met rem nut kēme [lit. "language of the people of Egypt"] & ⲙⲛⲧⲕⲩⲡⲧⲁⲓⲟⲛ met kuptaion [lit. "Egyptian language"]; a latter is for instance found in the Graecising form ⲙⲛⲧⲁⲓⲅⲩⲡⲧⲓⲟⲛ met aiguption. A term logotype ne aiguptios (lit., "Egyptian language") is likewise attested around Sahidic, although logotype & aiguptios come Greek around origin.

Coptic is written in the Coptic alphabet.

Geographic distribution
Coptic was spoken merely inside Egypt, and historically has experienced little influence outside of Egypt proper, by using a exception of monasteries located in Nubia. Coptic's virtually all noticeable impact has get on various dialects of Egyptian colloquial Arabic where an immense total of Coptic lexicon has been preserved. Virtually all one borrowings come, all a same, restricted to semantic fields like agriculture & the natural environment. In addition, there are the handful of words of Coptic origin that use at times been borrowed additional typically into Standard Arabic. These include:

timsāḥ تمساح "crocodile" (Sahidic te-msaḥ; Bohairic t-emsaḥ "the crocodile") ṭūbah طوبة "brick" (Sahidic tōōbecome */toːʔbe/; Bohairic tōbi */toːbi/); this later entered Spanish (via Andalusi Arabic) as adobe, whence it was borrowed by American English wāḥah واحة "oasis" (Sahidic ouaḥe */waħe/; Bohairic oueḥwe */weħi/)

Two or three words of Coptic originside come observed in Greek, some of which in which in the end borrowed into various languages of Europe (e.g. barge from Coptic bari "small boat"). It should exist as noted, nevertheless, that virtually all words of Egyptian origin that entered into Greek, and later on more European languages, came directly from either ancient Egyptian (often demotic), and non Coptic. An lesson of this is Greek ὄασις oasis, which comes directly from either Egyptian wḥ3t or even demotic wḥỉ, & non Coptic ouaḥe. Interestingly, Coptic re-borrowed a select few words of ancient Egyptian origin back into its lexicon via Greek. For instance, each Sahidic & Bohairic utilise a word ebenos, which was taken directly from either Greek ἔβενος "ebony", originally from either Egyptian hbny.

Eventually, Old Nubian (and modern Nubian languages) borrowed many words of Coptic origin.

Official status
As an extinct language, Coptic does not stand any official status. A medieval Boharic idiom is, still, presently utilized as a liturgical language of the Coptic Orthodox Church (along with Arabic & Greek).

Dialects
Coptic possesses the total of regional dialects that were in apply from either a Mediterranean coast and south into Nubia, when well as a american oases. Even so, piece several one accent reflect actual regional linguistic variations, occasionally come thomas more probably localised orthographic traditions and belike should non exist as taken as a admittedly indication of linguistic variation.

A major idiom of Coptic come: Sahidic
Sahidic (erst known as Thebaic) is idiom where virtually all known Coptic texts come written, & was a leading accent in the pre-Islamic period. These are thought to keep in the area of originally been a regional idiom from either the locality around al-Ashmunayn (ancient Hermopolis magna), but in the area of AD 300 it began to be written within literary form, including translations of major portions of the Bible. Per 6th century a standardised spelling had been attained, & it wwhen extremely influential as a standard accent for the Coptic Orthodox Church throughout Egypt. About entirely native authors witharound Coptic wrote in this idiom. Sahidic was, beginning in the 9th century challenged by Bohairic, but is attested when late when a 14th century.

When texts within more Coptic idiom come primarily translations of Greek unliterary & religious texts, Sahidic is the merely idiom by using the considerable body of original literature & non-literary texts. Because Sahidic shares virtually all of its features by owning more idiom of Coptic & has couple peculiarities specific to itself, & has an extensive corpus of known texts, these are usually a idiom exposed by learners of Coptic, particularly by scholars outside of the Coptic Church.

Bohairic
A Bohairic (or even Memphitic) accent is typically believed to originate in the american Nile delta. A earliest Bohairic manuscripts date to the 4th century AD, but virtually all texts are from either a 9th century and later; this will, nevertheless, exist as due to unfortunate preservation conditions for texts in the humid regions of northern Egypt. It shows many conservative features inside lexicon and phonology not found around more idiom. Bohairic is idiom utilized in the liturgy of the Coptic Orthodox Church, replacing Sahidic some period in the 11th century. As a contemporary liturgical language, Bohairic is usually pronounced using the thus-alleged "reformed pronunciation" mandated by Pope Cyrillus IV (1854–1861), modelling the pronunciation of Coptic letters fallowing their equivalents within Modern Greek.

the select few members of a Church keep around attempted to revive the Bohairic accent as a language of day-after-day usage, & a total of leaflet & grammars develop been published to this prevent. (For a single thorough lesson, look at Mattar 1990.)

Akhmimic
Akhmimic was localised in a area of the town of Akhmim (ancient Panopolis), and flourished when you took a 4th and 5th centuries, after which it became out. Akmimic is phonologically a virtually all archaic of the Coptic accent. Of these characteristic feature is the retention of the phoneme /x/, which is realised as /ʃ/ inside virtually all more accent. Likewise, it utilizes an exceptionally conservative orthography strikingly similar to "Old Coptic".

Lycopolitan
Lycopolitan (as well referred to as Subakhmimic & Assiutic) is similar to Akhmimic around terms of once & around which it was attested, though manuscripts written in it tend to exist as localised around Asyut, ancient Lycopolis. A independent differences between them accent seem to become sole within writing in nature and severity, though Lycopolitan was utilized extensively for translations of gnostic and Manichaean works, including the Nag Hammadi library texts.

Fayyumic
Fayyumic (or even Faiyumic; around older works these are typically known as Bashmuric) was utilised primarily in the Fayyum region, west of the Nile valley. These are attested from either a 3rd to the 10th centuries. These are virtually all notable for writing ⲗ in which more accent usually utilize ⲣ .

Oxyrhynchite
Oxyrhynchite (as well known as Mesokemic or even (bewilderingly) Middle Egyptian) was localised inside Middle Egypt in the area of Oxyrhynchus, and shows similarities by using Fayyumic. These are attested around manuscripts from either a 4th and 5th centuries.

Vocabulary
A core lexicon of Coptic is derived from a ancient Egyptian language, being virtually all closely related to the demotic phase of the language. Around of these-third of Coptic vocabulary is drawn from either Greek, though borrowings are not universally fully adapted to the Coptic phonologic system & will develop semantic differences as well. There come cases of Coptic texts with passages that are nearly completely composed from either Greek lexical roots. Even so, it must exist as remembered that a majority of Coptic texts come directly translations of Greek works.

Writing system
Coptic utilizes a orthography nearly entirely from either the Greek alphabet, with the addition of a total of extra letters—sextuplet in the example of Sahidic—that keep close at hand their origins inside Demotic. There exists occasionally variation in the total & forms one demotic signs based on the accent of Coptic included. A bit of of the letters within the Coptic alphabet that come of Greek origin were usually reserved lone for words that come themselves Greek in origin.

Within Sahidic, syllables will own been indicated by the supralinear stroke, though numerous scholars hang on to that it was wont to imply /e/; there exists presently there is no agreement on this issue. Occasionally scribal traditions apply the diaeresis over and at the beginning of a syllable. Bohairic utilizes the superposed point or even little stroke called the djinkim. These are thought to exist as unrelated to the Sahidic supralinear stroke, & might even suggest the voiceless glottal plosive.

Virtually all Coptic texts don't show the hyphenation.

History

Coptic was preponderantly utilized from either its Christian beginnings in the late 2nd century till the instance of the Neat persecution of Diocletian in the late 3rd century as a translational tool from either Greek to Egyptian. When a persecution, a monastic movement picked up wow steam. A monastic communities were large & mostly Egyptian. This generated a want for the archimandrite one communities to write their rule out their Egyptian language. What is more, a Fathers of the Egyptian Church, who otherwise commonly wrote around Greek, addressed a few of their works to the Egyptian monks in Coptic. Hence, by using monk fathers such as Saint Anthony the Great, Saint Pachomius, and Saint Macarius & their respective adherent writing to their monks; and sustaining Father prefer Saint Athanasius, Saint Theophilius, and Saint Cyril writing also to a babies inside Coptic, the Golden Age of the Coptic language was astir to start out.

It was non until Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite came on the scene that Coptic really achieved its literary excellence. Saint Shenouda was able to transform the language from either the convienence to communicate videos to the monks to a wide-kind literary language that addressed monks, ecclesiastical authorities, laymen, & potentially government officials. His personal appeal, cognition of Greek language & rhetoric, when well as his innovative mind gave him the necessary information to elevate a Coptic language, inside content and style, to a literary height never achieved prior to nor equaled since. A Coptic scholars come constantly astounded by his nifty writings every bit additional & extra of the babies come existence exposed & accurately published.

This literary bequest continued less than through the writings of his adherent Saint Besa in the second half of the 5th century. However such writings were mostly for the sophistication of the big monastic community in the White Monastery. Late in the 6th and 7th centuries other fathers wrote numerous works within Coptic rather Rufus of Shotep, Constantine of Asyut, and Pisentius of Qift.

Coptic During the Early Arabic Period (7th to 10th Century A.D.)
Luke 5.5–9]] Per middle of the 7th century, Egypt came under the dominance of Arab rulers that eventually tried to click a Copts to learn Arabic to keep their government jobs. This policy slowly eroded a total of Coptic lay readers world health organization were mostly from either a ranks one government workers & their families. Inside more words a pressure wear such families to view Arabic to ensure their continuing service around a government & the inheritance of such operate by their offspring, processed the kids slowly negligence educating their children in literary Coptic. Inside two or three century years, Bishop Severus of Al-Ashmunain found it necessary to write his History of the Patriarchs in Arabic to address such the drastic decline.

Ecclesiastically, a language continued hard. In point of fact, a great total of Hagiographic texts were composed during a early area of this time. Coptic continued to exist when utilized in a Church by owning Greek every bit a 2nd language, as seen from either either a texts that survived from the time. Even so the comparatively little total of liturgical manuscripts survived from either such period of time to show else how it was existence utilized. This was due to a heavily utilize to which such manuscripts were subjected, unfortunate preservation when you took a period of decline within utilize, & the parchment lesson it were write of that did non lend itself to such heavily have.

In the time of this period a select few Arabic loan-words manufactured their way into a language. However there was there is no indication that a Arabic language was used in the Church. There were there is no Coptic-Arabic manuscripts that belong to this period of time or even any literary citation to show its conceivable have. Coptic likewise remained a spoken language of a peasants & probably the clergy.

Coptic versus Arabic (from 11th to 14th Century A.D.)
Equally a 11th century approached, a comparatively effective relations between the rulers of Egypt and the Church were drastically changed as a Hakem b'Amr Allah became the ruler. His violent mood swings took their toll on the Christians who were periodically subjected to open persecutions, had their churches closed for as much as 2 years at instance, & saw their language existence prohibited from either utilise. This cycle did non survive hanker, however it emphatically left open a door for farther decline around Coptic utilize. In a cycle of a equivalent period, the European Crusaders waged their wars against the Muslim rulers of the Middle East in an effort to secure a holy site. Their presence in a area generated waves of persecutions & oppressions against the Copts. Introduction of Arabic in the 12th century by the Patriarch Gabriel ibn Turaik was probably an attempt to show the Muslims that the Copts are different from a enemy it were fighting.

Such move can use at times been considered caring at a period however it actually opened noah's flood gates. Christian Arabic literature flourished after. Late in the period, Arabic invaded the liturgical books, replacing Greek inside bilingual texts & intruding in traditionally non-bilingual ones. Potentially strictly Arabic liturgical texts began to come out, indicating that Arabic moved from the mere information translation to actual utilise in the churches. Original composition within Coptic became limited to liturgical anthem & prayers. A sole Coptic literary texts composed in a late a share of the period of time were the martyrdom of Saint John of Phanidijoit, written as such to shield from either a eyes of the Muslims, and compositions, urging a Copts to revive their language.

Farther testimony to a gradual decline of the language as a reading thing was supplied per numbers of lexicographical works that were introduced when you took the cycle. It were in the form of Muqadimat (Grammar) & Salalem (Scalae or even word lists). An additional sign of decline were Arabic texts circulating among a monks however written around Coptic characters, when it may not however scroll through the Arabic script. This was sooner or later replaced by using a writing of Coptic text around Arabic letters that we look at now in the Coptic Church.

Around sum-up, this cycle saw a decline of Coptic literary apply around its survive fastness, a Church. At length, it led to the weakening of the Church which after weakened the language additional, a natural chain reaction. A total of Christians declined due to persecution and forced conversion to Islam. This might probably become attributed to a decline inside Coptic which represented the ethnic barrier for the Copts from either the Arabic-Muslim Culture. However okay, a increasing utilize of Arabic bridged that barrier and processed it more comfortable for the border-marginal Christians to cross to seemingly greener evidence!

Coptic Decline as a Spoken Language (to 17th Century A.D.)
When a 14th century the Church experienced a decline spiritually & numerically. A dominance of the Ottoman Empire over Egypt in the early 16th century seemed to accelerate such decline. Production of Coptic Manuscripts slowed down to the dribble. This is an indication that Coptic books were non utilized when typically when prior to in the Church, thus there was there is no require to make thomas more. Tradition however mandated that Coptic become utilized around Church however around the decaying fashion. Yet Vansleb, the German traveler, concluded upon seeing an old human speaking inside Coptic that by having his demise (a man's) Coptic might die. Such observation might not keep close at hand been entirely precise however it gave an indication that Arabic has replaced Coptic as a primary spoken language among a Copts, if does'nt a exclusively of these.

Revival of Coptic in the 19th Century A.D.
In the first years of the 2nd half of the 19th century, Pope Cyril IV of Alexandria started a Church-sponsored movement to educate a clergy & a freshly generations. Revival of Coptic seemed to exist as the necessary convienence for such the movement. & then Coptic language education was offered altogether the schools that he built alongside the more program that was required to produce a fresh, better, and enlightened generation.

Pope Cyril IV of Alexandria did not survive yearn on the potty of Saint Mark. His demise was within a share brought upon by opponents of his reforms. However he experienced placed a ground operate for such movement to prove my point. In a endure half quarter of that century, a movement to revive the Coptic language intensified.

These dedicated humans spread a language among a people. It printed numbers of of a Coptic service books first, when it were single extant within manuscript form, so reviving the have of Coptic in the Church. Many works of grammar were produced following, along sustaining the other comprehensive lexicon than was so available. A establishment of the Clerical College too assisted in the propagation of the movement.

Coptic in the 20th Century
Coptic continued its incubation in a Church & among the Ecclesiastically-educated groups that were produced in the early area of the 20th century. Coptic schools, instituted by Pope Cyril VI and others that emulated them, continued their worthful function among a Coptic community. A clerical college likewise continued a tradition of the 19th century revival of Coptic. Sustaining a advent of the revolution of 1952, the Arabic language became more large inside Egypt and had in time an influential symptom on a fresh enlightened classes among the Copts. When members one groups were required to serve the Church, it brought by using the babies a preaching spirit that put Arabic in a fresh large position in the services, i personally.e. sermons. Accidentally, & within spite of a effective may of such humans & their love of the tradition of the Church, it introduced over again an element that sooner or later weakened the revival run.

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