Coptic greetings.

ⲭⲉⲣⲉ

khārā

Hello (from Greek χαίρε)

ⲭⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲁⲕ

Khere nak

Hello (to male)

ⲭⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲉ

Khere ne

Hello. (To female)

ⲛⲟϥⲣⲓ

Nofri

Hi,hello.

ⲛⲁⲛⲉ ⲧⲟⲟⲩⲓ.

nane to-oui 

Good morning

ⲛⲁⲛⲉ ⲣⲟϩⲓ

Nane rohi

Good evening

ⲛⲟϥⲣⲓ ⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ

Nofri ehoou

Good day

ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲣⲕⲏϯ

Ash pe perkēti?

How are you?

ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ

oujai

Bye

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Coptic language.

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The language of the Pharaohs lives on!

Coptic is the descendant of Ancient Egyptian (Medu neter, divine words) which survived up to the 17nth century as a spoken language.

Nevertheless it still survives as a liturgical language of the Christian Coptic Church in Egypt.It is estimated that there are about six and a half million Coptic Christians today.

Compare Ancient Egyptian medu (words) with Coptic Ⲙⲉⲧ (met). 

The liturgical language is based on the Bohairic dialect which was spoken in Lower Egypt in the Nile Delta.

It eventually fell out of use and was fully replaced by Egyptian Arabic in eveyday life.

Coptic cross

Coptic dialects

Coptic was divided in six major dialects the most prominent Bohairic and Sahidic. The differences are in phonology, morphology and some grammar but they are not significant enough to set them far apart.

Coptic dialects

Coptic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic macro family along with Arabic and Hebrew.It evolved from Demotic Egyptian during late antiquity.

Egypt in Coptic 

Coptic 

ⲭⲏⲙⲓ Khēmi

ⲕⲏⲙⲉ Kēme

Arabic 

قبط‎

Qibt

Ancient Egyptian

Kmt

Kemet

Kemet- the black land- Egypt

Coptic and Greek

There is widespread misconception that the Greek alphabet was adopted for Coptic by Christians. But this is not the case.

Greek presence in Egypt started in the 7nth century BCE when Greeks founded the trade colony of Naucratis in the Nile Delta. Then numerous cities were established in Cyrenaica. Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria after conquering Egypt naming it after him. 

 

After the death of Alexander ,during the Ptolemaic rule of Egypt, Greek became the common language. Next came the Roman Empire which didn't change the linguistic status quo in the East and then followed by the Greek speaking Byzantine Empire. 

As a consequence, the Greek alphabet started being used to write Ancient Egyptian then Coptic early before Christian times. Some additional letters were used from Demotic Egyptian to represent sounds not found in Greek.

The alphabet wasn't the only thing Coptic adopted from  Greek- a lot of Greek words and phrases were introduced,too. All previous Egyptian religious terms were replaced by Greek after the adoption of Christianity.

Some phrases in Coptic

ⲭⲉⲣⲉ

khārā

Hello (from Greek χαίρε)

ⲛⲟϥⲣⲓ

Nofri

Hi,hello.

ⲛⲁⲛⲉ ⲧⲟⲟⲩⲓ.

nanā to-oui 

Good morning

ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ

oujai

Bye

ⲥⲉⲡϩⲙⲟⲧ

sephmot

Thanx 

Ⲡⲓⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥⲁϥⲧⲱⲛϥ !

Pikhristos Aftōnf

Christ is risen!

ⲁⲕⲉⲣ ⲟⲩ? 

aker ou?(m.)

How are you?

ⲁⲣⲉⲉⲣ ⲟⲩ? 

areer ou? (f.)

How are you?

ⲁⲣⲉⲧⲉⲛⲉⲣ ⲟⲩ? 

aretener ou? (pl.) 

How are you?

Ⲙⲉⲧ

Met

Words, language

ⲘⲉⲧⲢⲉⲙ̀ⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ 

Met Remenkēmi

Coptic language

ϯⲘⲉⲧⲢⲉⲙ̀ⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ

TiMetRemenkēmi

the Coptic language.

ϯ

Ti

the 

definite article

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Coptic greetings

Sample text

John 1:1 in Coptic

ϩⲛ̅ ⲧⲉϩⲟⲩⲉⲓⲧⲉ ⲛⲉϥϣⲟⲟⲡ ⲛ̅ϭⲓ ⲡϣⲁϫⲉ. ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲉϥϣⲟⲟⲡ ⲛ̅ⲛⲁϩⲣⲙ̅ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ. ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲉ ⲡϣⲁϫⲉ. 

hn̅ tehoueite nefšoop n̅ci pšaje. auô pšaje nefšoop n̅nahrm̅ pnoute. auô neunoute pe pšaje. 

In the beginning was the word, and the word was in the presence of the god, and the word was a god.

ⲡϣⲁϫⲉ

Pshaje 

Word

ⲁⲩⲱ

Auo

And

ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ

Pnoute

The god

ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ

Noute

God

Ancient Egyptian neter (divine).

 

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Coptic pronouns

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Coptic pronouns- κοπτικές αντωνυμίες

The pronouns below are in the Bohairic dialect.

Οι αντωνυμίες παρακάτω είναι στην μποχαϊρική διάλεκτο.

ⲁⲛⲁⲕ

anak 

ανακ

I

εγώ

ⲁⲛⲟⲛ

Anon

Άνον

We

Εμείς

ⲛⲑⲟⲕ

Nthok

Νθόκ

You (sg,m.)

Εσύ

Ⲛⲑⲟ

Ntho 

You 

(sg.f.)

ⲛⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ

Nthōten

Νθώτεν

You (pl.)

εσείς

ⲛⲑⲟⲥ

nthos

Νθος

She

Αυτή

ⲛⲑⲟϥ

Nthof

Νθοφ

He

Αυτός

ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ

Nthou

Νθόου

They

Αυτοί

σχετική γλώσσα

κοπτικά

Related language

Coptic

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Aufpassen-to pay attention (German)

Passen sie mehr auf!

Pay more attention!

Πρόσεχε!

Pass mal auf!

Pay attention!

Πρόσεχε!

Kannst du nicht aufpassen?

Can't you pay attention?

Δεν μπορείς να προσέχεις;

Aufpassen

To pay attention.

Προσέχω.

Pass mal auf mein lieber.Listen carefully honey.

Ακουσέ με προσεκτικά αγάπη μου.

Synonym to Hör auf here.

Συνώνυμο με το hör auf εδώ.

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Cuánto tiempo tienes? (Spanish)

-Estoy embarazada.

-Cuánto tiempo tienes?

-Dos meces.

-I'm pregnant.

-How long?

-Two months.

Εστόι εμπαρασάδα.

Κουμάντο τιέμπο τιένες;

Ντος μέσες.

-Είμαι έγγυος.

-Πόσο καιρό;

-Δύο μήνες.

Αν σου άρεσε η ανάρτηση ,κάνε μας ένα ψυχικό. Προώθησέ την με τα κουμπιά παρακάτω.

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Qué traes? (Spanish idiom)

Qué traes?

What are you up to?

Τί 'μαγειρεύεις';

Traigo...

Litterary what are you bringing/carring? From the verb 'traer' ,to bring,to carry.

Στην κυριολεξία τί κουβαλάς,τί φέρνεις; Από το ρήμα traer ,φέρνω,κουβαλάω.

Αν σου άρεσε η ανάρτηση ,κάνε μας ένα ψυχικό. Προώθησέ την με τα κουμπιά παρακάτω.

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wohl gefühlt (German)

Ich hätte mich in Griechenland nicht wohl gefühlt.

I would not have felt comfortable in Greece.

Δεν θα ένιωθα άνετα στην Ελλάδα.

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