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Definite Article

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=Introduction=
The name '''Coptic''' encompasses several closely related dialects. Here we deal mostly with the '''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptic_language#Sahidic Sahidic dialect]''', as it is the one in which most of the originally Coptic literature is written.

=Alphabet & Pronunciation=
'''Coptic''' is written in an adapted form of the Greek alphabet, with the addition of a few signs of Demotic origin, to represent one specific syllable and some consonant sounds not present in Greek.

{| class="wikitable" id="tbl_coptic_alphabet"
|-
! Uppercase
! Lowercase
!Numeric value
!Letter Name
!Transliteration
!Sahidic Pronunciation
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲁ '''
| align=center| '''ⲁ '''
|| 1
|| ''Alpha''
|| a
|| [a]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲃ '''
| align=center| '''ⲃ '''
|| 2
|| ''Beta''
|| b
|| [β]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲅ '''
| align=center| '''ⲅ '''
|| 3
|| ''Gamma''
|| g
|| [k]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲇ '''
| align=center| '''ⲇ '''
|| 4
|| ''Delta''
|| d
|| [t]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲉ '''
| align=center| '''ⲉ '''
|| 5
|| ''Eey''
|| ə
|| [ɛ, ə]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲋ '''
| align=center| '''ⲋ '''
|| 6
|| Soou
|| s͡t
|| —
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲍ '''
| align=center| '''ⲍ '''
|| 7
|| ''Zeta''
|| z
|| [s]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲏ '''
| align=center| '''ⲏ '''
|| 8
|| ''Eta''
|| aa, ê
|| [eː]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲑ '''
| align=center| '''ⲑ '''
|| 9
|| Theta
|| th
|| [t.h]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲓ '''
| align=center| '''ⲓ '''
|| 10
|| ''Iota''
|| i
|| [iː, j]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲕ '''
| align=center| '''ⲕ '''
|| 20
|| ''Kappa''
|| k
|| [k]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲗ '''
| align=center| '''ⲗ '''
|| 30
|| Lola
|| l
|| [l]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲙ '''
| align=center| '''ⲙ '''
|| 40
|| ''Mey''
|| m
|| [m]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲛ '''
| align=center| '''ⲛ '''
|| 50
|| ''Ney''
|| n
|| [n]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲝ '''
| align=center| '''ⲝ '''
|| 60
|| ''Exi''
|| ks
|| [ks]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲟ '''
| align=center| '''ⲟ '''
|| 70
|| ''O''
|| o
|| [ɔ]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲡ '''
| align=center| '''ⲡ '''
|| 80
|| ''Pi''
|| p
|| [p]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲣ '''
| align=center| '''ⲣ '''
|| 100
|| Roo
|| r
|| [ɾ], [r]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲥ '''
| align=center| '''ⲥ '''
|| 200
|| ''Seema''
|| s
|| [s]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲧ '''
| align=center| '''ⲧ '''
|| 300
|| ''Tav''
|| t
|| [t]
|-
| align=center | '''Ⲩ '''
| align=center | '''ⲩ '''
| | 400
| | ''Upsilon''
| | u
| | [w]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲫ '''
| align=center| '''ⲫ '''
|| 500
|| ''Phi''
|| ph
|| [p.h]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲭ '''
| align=center| '''ⲭ '''
|| 600
|| ''Chi''
|| kh
|| [k.h]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲯ '''
| align=center| '''ⲯ '''
|| 700
|| ''Epsi''
|| ps
|| [ps]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⲱ '''
| align=center| '''ⲱ '''
|| 800
|| ''Oou''
|| ô
|| [oː]
|-
| align=center| '''Ϣ '''
| align=center| '''ϣ '''
|| —
|| ''Shai''
|| š
|| [ʃ]
|-
| align=center| '''Ϥ '''
| align=center| '''ϥ '''
|| 90
|| ''Fai''
|| f
|| [f]
|-
| align=center| '''Ϧ (Ⳉ) '''
| align=center| '''ϧ (ⳉ)'''
|| —
|| ''Khai''
|| x
|| —
|-
| align=center| '''Ϩ '''
| align=center| '''ϩ '''
|| —
|| ''Hori''
|| h
|| [h]
|-
| align=center| '''Ϫ '''
| align=center| '''ϫ '''
|| —
|| ''Janja''
|| j
|| [t͡ʃ]
|-
| align=center| '''Ϭ '''
| align=center| '''ϭ '''
|| —
|| ''Cheema''
|| c
|| [kʲ]
|-
| align=center| '''Ϯ '''
| align=center| '''ϯ '''
|| —
|| ''Ti''
|| ti
|| [tiː]
|-
| align=center| '''Ⳁ '''
| align=center| '''ⳁ '''
|| 900
|| ''Sampi''
|| —
|| —
|-
| align=center| '''ⲈⲒ '''
| align=center| '''ⲉⲓ '''
|| —
|| —
|| ei
|| [iː], [j]
|-
| align=center| '''ⲞⲨ '''
| align=center| '''ⲟⲩ '''
|| —
|| —
|| ou
|| [uː], [w]
|-
|}

* a macron over a consonant indicates a ''schwa'' or a syllabic consonant; ex.: {{cop|ⲛ̄}} [ən], [n̩].
* a line over several letters indicates an abbreviation; ex.: {{cop|ⲡ̅ⲛ̅ⲁ̅}} stands for {{cop|ⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ}} "spirit".
* the letter {{cop|ϧ}}/{{cop|ⳉ}} is not used in the Sahidic dialect.
* note that the letters {{cop|ⲫ}}, {{cop|ⲑ}} and {{cop|ⲭ}} represent aspirated stops, or rather, a stop followed by [h]: [ph], [th], [kh]; sometimes they can be found instead of the regular spellings {{cop|ⲡϩ}}, {{cop|ⲧϩ}}, {{cop|ⲕϩ}}.

Coptic texts don't always indicate word division; sometimes a dot is used between words; but a space may be used, especially in modern editions or transcriptions.

=Morphology=
==Gender==
Coptic nouns are divided in two genders: masculine and feminine.

While simple, primitive nouns may have no indication of gender, suffixes or affixes are usually linked to a specific gender.

Greek nouns usually keep their original gender, if it is masculine or feminine, while greek neuter nouns are become masculine in Coptic.

Greek adjectives are incorporated in Coptic in their masculine form, which is used even with feminine nouns. The neuter form of Greek adjectives is used in Coptic to indicate non-human, mainly abstract, entities -in which case it behaves as a masculine noun.

In the plural, determiners (articles) don't distinguish gender.

==Number==
Coptic has a singular and a plural. While some old Egyptian nouns have specific plural forms, the vast majority of nouns are invariable.

In any case, the plural is usually clearly indicated in articles, pronouns and verb endings.

==Nouns==
Coptic nouns are mostly invariable, with the exception of some old Egyptian nouns that have a form specific for the plural.

An interesting characteristic of Coptic is that all nouns can become adjectives, by means of the particle {{cop|ⲛ̄}}. On the other hand, the vast majority of adjectives are, ultimately, nouns used in that manner.

===Gender===
Coptic nouns are either masculine or feminine. Greek feminine nouns are usually treated as feminine in Coptic, while both masculine and neuter Greek nouns are treated as masculine.

===Number===
Most Coptic nouns don't inflect for number. There is, however, a group of nouns, mostly from Egyptian, that have a plural form, often irregular.

[[/Nouns with irregular plural|You can find some Coptic nouns with irregular plural here.]]

However, even nouns with an irregular plural form are usually invariable, i.e., on can indicate plural merely by means of articles and other determiners.

==Adjectives==
Coptic has only a few (about twenty) "real" adjectives. They descend from the old Egyptian language, and some of them inflect for gender and/or number.

These are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|| {{cop|ⲁⲥ}} || old
|-
|| {{cop|ⲃⲣ̄ⲣⲉ}} || new
|-
|| {{cop|ⲉⲃⲓⲏⲛ}} || wretched
|-
|| {{cop|ⲕⲟⲩⲓ}} || small
|-
|| {{cop|ⲕⲁⲙⲉ}} || black
|-
|| {{cop|ⲙⲉⲣⲓⲧ}}, pl. {{cop|ⲙⲉⲣⲁⲧⲉ}} || beloved
|-
|| {{cop|ⲛⲟϭ}} || big
|-
|| {{cop|ⲥⲁⲃⲉ}}, f. {{cop|ⲥⲁⲃⲏ}}, pl. {{cop|ⲥⲁⲃⲉⲉⲩ}} || prudent, wise
|-
|| {{cop|ⲥⲁⲉⲓⲉ}} || beautiful
|-
|| {{cop|ⲥⲱⲧⲡ̄}} || excellent
|-
|| {{cop|ϣⲏⲙ}}, f. {{cop|ϣⲏⲙⲉ}} || small
|-
|| {{cop|ϣⲙ̄ⲙⲟ}}, f. {{cop|ϣⲙ̄ⲙⲱ}} || foreign
|-
|| {{cop|ϣⲟⲣⲡ̄}}, f. {{cop|ϣⲟⲣⲡⲉ}} || first
|-
|| {{cop|ϩⲁⲉ}}, f. {{cop|ϩⲁⲏ}}, pl. {{cop|ϩⲁⲉⲉⲩ}} || last
|-
|| {{cop|ϩⲁⲕ}} || sober, prudent
|-
|| {{cop|ϩⲏⲕⲉ}} || poor
|-
|| {{cop|ϩⲗ̄ⲗⲟ}}, f. {{cop|ϩⲗ̄ⲗⲱ}}, pl. {{cop|ϩⲗ̄ⲗⲟⲓ}} || old
|-
|| {{cop|ϩⲟⲓⲉⲓⲧ}}, f. {{cop|ϩⲟⲩⲉⲓⲧⲉ}}, pl. {{cop|ϩⲟⲩⲁⲧⲉ}} || first, original
|-
|| {{cop|ϫⲱⲱⲣⲉ}} || strong
|-
|| {{cop|ϫⲁϫⲉ}}, pl. {{cop|ϫⲓϫⲉⲉⲩⲉ}}, {{cop|ϫⲓϫⲉⲉⲩ}} || hostile
|}

Besides these, virtually any noun can be turned into an adjective by means of the particle {{cop|ⲛ̄}}. Ex.: {{cop|ⲣⲱⲙⲉ}} "man", "human being" ⇒ {{cop|ⲛ̄ⲣⲱⲙⲉ}} "human".

Also, any Greek adjective or noun can become an adjective in Coptic. When used attributively, they use the same particle {{cop|ⲛ̄}}; when used predicatively, they receive the definite or indefinite articles. Ex.: {{cop|ⲟⲩ.ⲣⲱⲙⲉ.ⲛ̄.ⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ}} "a righteous man"; {{cop|ⲟⲩ.ⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ.ⲡⲉ}} "he is righteous".

==Articles==
===Indefinite Article===
The indefinite article is {{cop|ⲟⲩ}} in the singular ("a/an"), and {{cop|ϩⲉⲛ}} in the plural ("some"). Besides being used more or less like the corresponding indefinite article or pronoun in English, the definite articles are also used to indicate an indefinite predicative element, be it an adjetive or noun. I.e., for something like "I am young", Coptic has "I am a young"; for "They are students", Coptic will say "They are some students".

Adjectives may be turned to nouns by being prefixed with the articles.

Even though some nouns and adjectives have a plural form, usually the article itself is enough to indicate number, i.e., the singular form of nouns and adjectives is used even in the plural. Ex.:

* {{cop|ⲟⲩ.ⲣⲱⲙⲉ}} "a man", "a person"; {{cop|ϩⲉⲛ.ⲣⲱⲙⲉ}} "(some) men", "(some) people"
* {{cop|ⲟⲩ.ⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ}} "a righteous person"; {{cop|ϩⲉⲛ.ⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ}} "(some) righteous people"

<br/>

===Definite Article===
The definite article in Coptic is {{cop|ⲡ}} for masculine nouns, {{cop|ⲧ}} for feminine nouns and {{cop|ⲛ̄}} for nouns in the plural. Before words beginning with more than one consonant, an {{cop|-ⲉ-}} is added to the basic consonant of the article. Ex.:

* {{cop|ⲡ.ⲣⲱⲙⲉ}} "the man", "the person"; {{cop|ⲛ̄.ⲣⲱⲙⲉ}} "the men", "the people"
* {{cop|ⲡ.ⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ}} "the righteous man"; {{cop|ⲛ̄.ⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ}} "the righteous men/people"
* {{cop|ⲧ.ⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ}} "the righteous womanman"; {{cop|ⲛ̄.ⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ}} "the righteous women/people"
* {{cop|ⲣ̄ⲡⲉ|}} "temple", {{cop|ⲡⲉ.ⲣ̄ⲡⲉ}} "the temple", {{cop|ⲛⲉ.ⲣ̄ⲡⲉ}} "the temples"

==Pronouns==

==Verbs==

=Syntax=

Simplified Coptic Grammar - Revision history

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