# Unit 2: Pronouns # Unit 2 Vocabulary #### General Vocabulary

Coptic	English	Gender	Irregular Plural
ϩⲱⲃ	thing	M	ϩ̀ⲃⲏⲟⲩⲓ
ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ	every	M/F

#### Adjectives

Coptic	English	Gender	Irregular Plural
ⲃⲉⲣⲓ	new
ⲁⲡⲁⲥ	old
ⲛⲓϣϯ	great
ⲕⲟⲩϫⲓ	small
ⲥⲁⲃⲉ	wise		ⲥⲁⲃⲉⲩ
ⲥⲁⲃⲏ	wise		ⲥⲁⲃⲉⲩ
ⲥⲟϫ	fool (adj. foolish)
ⲛⲟⲩⲃ	gold
ϩⲁⲧ	silver

#### Body Parts

Coptic	English	Gender	Irregular Plural
̀ⲁⲫⲉ	head	F	ⲁⲫⲏⲟ̀ⲩⲓ
ϫⲓϫ	hand	F
ⲃⲁⲗ	eye	M
ⲣⲱ	mouth	M	ⲣⲱⲟⲩ
ⲙⲁϣϫ	ear	M
ϣⲁⲓ	nose	M
ⲗⲁⲥ	tongue	M
ⲛⲁϫϩⲓ	tooth	F
ⲛⲁϩⲃⲓ	neck	F
ⲁⲙⲏⲣ	arm	M
ⲯⲩⲭⲏ	soul	F (Greek)
ⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ	spirit	M (Greek)

##### Inflected Adjectives

Coptic	English
̀ⲙⲙⲁⲩⲁⲧ=	only
ⲧⲏⲣ=	all
ϩⲱ=	also
̀ⲙⲙⲓⲛ ̀ⲙⲙⲟ=	own

# Lesson 1: Near Demonstrative Pronouns #### Near Demonstrative Pronoun

Masculine (this)	Feminine (this)	Plural (these)
ⲫⲁⲓ	ⲑⲁⲓ	ⲛⲁⲓ

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. For example, instead of saying "the man" we may say "him." Or instead of saying "the big brown chair," we may say "it." Demonstrative Pronouns work in the same way. When using the near demonstrative as a pronoun, it takes the place of a noun. For example instead of saying "this man" (and having the demonstrative "this" describe the subject "man"), you may want to say "this is the man" where the demonstrative "this" acts as a pronoun and the subject of the sentence, and "man" acts as the object. ##### Examples

<Definite Subject>	ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ	<Definite Object>	Translation
ⲫⲁⲓ	ⲡⲉ	ⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ	This is the man
ⲛⲁⲓ	ⲛⲉ	ⲛⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ	These are the women
ⲫⲁⲓ	ⲡⲉ	̀ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲙⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ	This is the Son of God
ⲛⲁⲓ	ⲛⲉ	ⲛⲁ̀ⲥⲛⲏⲟⲩ	These are my brothers

##### Emphatic Construction There is a special set construction in Coptic that uses both the Near Demonstrative Article and the Near Demonstrative Pronoun as a way of emphasis. **ⲡⲁⲓⲁⲫⲟⲧ ⲫⲁⲓ:** Translating this literally would render "this chalice this" which is nonsense. A better way to translate the emphasis on the demonstrative is: "this very chalice." We will see this construction in Application 1 below. #### Application ##### Application 1: This is an excerpt from the Thanksgiving Prayer as prayed by the priest during the Divine Liturgy, the Crowning Ceremony and the Consecration of the Waters of Baptism.

̀ⲁⲗⲓⲧⲟⲩ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁⲣⲟⲛ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲡⲉⲕⲗⲁⲟⲥ ⲧⲏⲣϥ ⲛⲉⲙ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲧⲣⲁⲡⲉⲍⲁ ⲑⲁⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲡⲁⲓⲙⲁ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ̀ⲛⲧⲁⲕ ⲫⲁⲓ.	…take them away from us and from all Your people, and from this table, and from this Your holy place.
ⲛⲉⲙ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲛⲁⲓⲡⲁⲧϣⲉⲗⲉⲧ ⲛⲁⲓ	and from this bridegroom and bride
ⲛⲉⲙ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲧⲁⲓⲕⲟⲗⲩⲙⲃⲏⲑⲣⲁ ⲑⲁⲓ	and from this basin

1. **ⲡⲉⲕⲗⲁⲟⲥ ⲧⲏⲣϥ** - "All Your people" - The use of ⲧⲏⲣϥ (and ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ, ⲧⲏⲣⲉⲛ, etc.) will be covered in a future lesson, but it is commonplace and you should have a rough understanding of it by now 2. **ⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲧⲣⲁⲡⲉⲍⲁ ⲑⲁⲓ** - "this very table" 3. **ⲡⲁⲓⲙⲁ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ̀ⲛⲧⲁⲕ ⲫⲁⲓ** - "this very place that is holy that is Yours" 4. **ⲛⲁⲓⲡⲁⲧϣⲉⲗⲉⲧ ⲛⲁⲓ** - "this very bridegroom and bride" - The noun here ϣⲉⲗⲉⲧ can mean bride or groom and in the plural typically means both. - In Arabic this is translated as العروسين, but there is no single word to represent that in English ("newlywed" might be the closest) so we translate it as "the bridegroom and bride." - Although it is plural, you see that in both Arabic and English we translated it as dual (Arabic through conjugation, English through listing two subjects). This is due to the context (i.e. a Crowning Ceremony with one bridegroom and one bride). 5. **ⲧⲁⲓⲕⲟⲗⲩⲙⲃⲏⲑⲣⲁ ⲑⲁⲓ** - "this very basin" ##### Application 2: These are responses from the Institution Narrative in the Divine Liturgy.

ⲫⲁⲓ ̀ⲁⲣⲧⲓϥ ̀ⲉⲡⲁⲉⲣ̀ⲫⲙⲉⲩ̀ⲓ	This do in remembrance of Me
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲑⲙⲏⲓ. ⲁⲙⲏⲛ	This is in truth. Amen.
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲑⲙⲏⲓ. ⲁⲙⲏⲛ	This also is in truth. Amen.

##### Application 3: These are excerpts from the Confession Prayer at the end of the Liturgy (the priest's confession as well as the deacon's confession).

ϫⲉ ⲑⲁⲓ ⲧⲉ ϯⲥⲁⲣⲝ ̀ⲛⲣⲉϥⲧⲁⲛϧⲟ...	This is the life-giving flesh
ϯⲛⲁϩϯ ϯⲛⲁϩϯ ϯⲛⲁϩϯ ϫⲉ ⲑⲁⲓ ⲧⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲑⲙⲏⲓ ⲁⲙⲏⲛ	I believe, I believe, I believe, that this is in truth. Amen.

##### Biblical Examples

ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ̀ⲡⲟⲩⲣⲟ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲓⲓⲟⲩⲇⲁⲓ	"this is the king of the Jews" (Matthew 27:37)
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲥⲱⲙⲁ	"this is My Body" (Luke 22:19)
ϧⲉⲛ ϯ̀ⲕⲣⲓⲥⲓⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲁⲓϫⲱⲟⲩ	"in the Judgment with this generation" (Matthew 12:41)

#### Exercises ##### Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic Translate the following phrases into Coptic: ##### Exercise 2: Translate to English Translate the following phrases into English: #### Resources - Page 46 of Sameh Younan PDF - Page 143 of Nabil Mattar - Lesson 3 of Moawad Daoud - ACTS 2990 Introduction to the Coptic Language (Bohairic) with Hany Takla Lesson 2b # Lesson 2: Personal Pronouns #### Personal Pronouns Pronouns take the place of a noun. We briefly introduced pronouns with the Demonstrative Pronouns in a previous lesson. In this lesson, we will examine the Personal Pronouns (i.e. pronouns that describe or take the place of a person).

Coptic	English	Person	Number
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ	I	1st	Singular
ⲁⲛⲟⲛ	We/Us	1st	Plural
̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ	You (m.)	2nd	Singular
̀ⲛⲑⲟ	You (f.)	2nd	Singular
̀ⲛⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ	You (pl.) or Y'all	2nd	Plural
̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ	He	3rd	Singular
̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ	She	3rd	Singular
̀ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ	Them	3rd	Plural

##### Examples

<Definite Subject>	ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ	<Definite Object>	Translation
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ	ⲡⲉ	ⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ	I am the man
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ	ⲧⲉ	ϯ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ	I am the woman
ⲁⲛⲟⲛ	ⲛⲉ	ⲛⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ	We are the men
̀ⲛⲑⲟ	ⲧⲉ	ϯϣⲟⲩⲣⲏ	You are the censer
̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ	ⲧⲉ	ϯ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ	She is the woman
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ	ⲡⲉ	ⲡⲓⲕⲟⲩϫⲓ	I am the "small person" or "young person"
̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ	ⲧⲉ	ϯⲟⲩⲣⲱ	She is the queen
̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ	ⲡⲉ	̀ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ	You are God
̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ	ⲡⲉ	ⲡⲁⲛⲟⲩϯ	You are my God

#### Application ##### Application 1: This is an excerpt from .

1. ##### Application 2: This is an excerpt from

##### Biblical Examples

#### Exercises ##### Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic Translate the following into Coptic: 1. ##### Exercise 2: Translate to English Translate the following phrases into English: ##### Resources - "A Study in Bohairic Coptic" by Nabil Matar; p162 - See Moawad Daoud Lesson 2 - See Sameh Younan page 59 in the PDF - ACTS 2990 Introduction to the Coptic Language (Bohairic) with Hany Takla Lesson 3A # Lesson 4: Indefinite Pronoun ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ #### Indefinite Pronoun ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ #### Exercises ##### Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic Translate the following into Coptic: 1. ##### Exercise 2: Translate to English Translate the following phrases into English: 1. #### Resources "A Study in Bohairic Coptic" by Nabil Matar; p337, 341, 342 See Moawad Daoud Lesson See Sameh Younan page in the PDF ACTS 2990 Introduction to the Coptic Language (Bohairic) with Hany Takla Lesson # Lesson 5: Genitive ### Genitive The Genitive is a preposition that is used to denote possession (i.e. when some noun or pronoun belongs to some other noun or pronoun). In Coptic, the Genitive can be denoted by one of the articles ̀ⲙ or ̀ⲛ, or the preposition ̀ⲛⲧⲉ. #### Articles ̀ⲙ and ̀ⲛ ` ̀ⲙ` when the possessor noun starts with ⲙ ⲡ ⲃ ⲫ ⲯ. ` ̀ⲛ` in all other cases. ##### Examples:

̀ⲡⲏⲓ ̀ⲙⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ	the house of the man
̀ⲡⲟⲩⲣⲟ ̀ⲛϯⲃⲁⲕⲓ	the king of the city
̀ⲡⲟⲩⲧⲁϩ ̀ⲙⲡⲓ̀ϣϣⲏⲛ	the fruit of the tree
̀ⲙ̀ⲫⲣⲟ ̀ⲙⲡⲓⲡⲁⲣⲁⲇⲓⲥⲟⲥ	the door of the Paradise
̀ⲡϫⲓⲛ̀ⲓ ̀ⲙⲡⲓⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ	the coming of Christ
̀ⲡϣⲱⲕ ̀ⲛϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲁⲙⲁ̀ⲟ	the depth of the riches
̀ⲑⲛⲉϫⲓ ̀ⲛϯⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ	the womb of the Virgin
̀ⲡϣⲟⲩϣⲟⲩ ̀ⲛⲛⲓⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ	the pride of the virgins
ϯⲑⲉⲟⲧⲟⲕⲓⲁ ̀ⲙ̀ⲡ̀ⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ̀ⲙ̀ⲡ̀ⲧⲓⲟⲟⲩ	the Theotokia of Thursday

#### Preposition ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ` ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ` The use of ̀ⲛⲧⲉ for the possessive can be used in any situation, but is especially used in the following situations: 1. After an indefinite noun (e.g. ⲟⲩⲃⲱⲕⲓ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ) 2. Nouns with demonstrative prefixes (ⲡⲁⲓϫⲱⲙ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛ) 3. Nouns with a following modifier (̀ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲛϭⲁⲗⲉ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ̀ⲫⲣⲱⲙⲓ) ##### Examples:

ⲟⲩⲃⲱⲕⲓ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ	a servant (f.) of God
ⲡⲁⲓϫⲱⲙ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛ	this book of my brother
̀ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲛϭⲁⲗⲉ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ̀ⲫⲣⲱⲙⲓ	the lame son of the man
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲉⲕⲓⲟϯ	I am the God of your fathers
ⲡⲓⲗⲟⲅⲟⲥ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲫⲓⲱⲧ	the Logos of the Father
̀ⲡϣⲟⲩϣⲟⲩ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲉⲛⲅⲉⲛⲟⲥ	the pride of our race

#### Pronominal Possessor ` ̀ⲛⲧ=` The pronominal form of the preposition ̀ⲛⲧⲉ is ̀ⲛⲧ=

1st Person S	My	̀ⲛⲧⲏⲓ
2nd Person M	Your (m.)	̀ⲛⲧⲁⲕ
2nd Person F	Your (f.)	̀ⲛⲧⲉ
3rd Person M	His	̀ⲛⲧⲁϥ
3rd Person F	Her	̀ⲛⲧⲁⲥ
1st Person P	Our	̀ⲛⲧⲁⲛ
2nd Person P	Your (p.)	̀ⲛⲧⲱⲧⲉⲛ
3rd Person P	Their	̀ⲛⲧⲱⲟⲩ

##### Examples:

ⲟⲩⲃⲱⲕ ̀ⲛⲧⲁⲕ	a servant of yours
ⲡⲁⲓϫⲱⲙ ̀ⲛⲧⲁϥ	this book of his
ϣⲟⲙⲧ ̀ⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲛⲧⲁⲥ	three sons of hers

#### Possessive Pronouns These pronouns are used in place of a possessive noun ("My <noun>")

	English	m. Object	f. Object	p. Object
1st Person S	Mine	ⲫⲱⲓ	ⲑⲱⲓ	ⲛⲟⲩⲓ
2nd Person M	Yours (m.)	ⲫⲱⲕ	ⲑⲱⲕ	ⲛⲟⲩⲕ
2nd Person F	Yours (f.)	ⲫⲱ	ⲑⲱ	ⲛⲟⲩ
3rd Person M	His	ⲫⲱϥ	ⲑⲱϥ	ⲛⲟⲩϥ
3rd Person F	Hers	ⲫⲱⲥ	ⲑⲱⲥ	ⲛⲟⲩⲥ
1st Person P	Ours	ⲫⲱⲛ	ⲑⲱⲛ	ⲛⲟⲩⲛ
2nd Person P	Yours (p.)	ⲫⲱⲧⲉⲛ	ⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ	ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉⲛ
3rd Person P	Theirs	ⲫⲱⲟⲩ	ⲑⲱⲟⲩ	ⲛⲟⲩⲟⲩ

##### Examples:

ⲑⲱⲕ ⲧⲉ ϯϫⲟⲙ	Yours is the power
ⲫⲱⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲕⲁϩⲓ ⲧⲏⲣϥ	Yours is all the earth
ⲫⲱⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲱⲟⲩ ϣⲁ ⲛⲓⲉⲛⲉϩ	Yours is the glory forever
ⲡⲁⲓϫⲟⲓ ⲫⲱϥ ⲡⲉ	this ship is his

##### Exercises ##### Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic Translate the following into Coptic: 1. ##### Exercise 2: Translate to English Translate the following phrases into English: 1. 2. #### Resources "A Study in Bohairic Coptic" by Nabil Matar; p424 See Moawad Daoud Lesson See Sameh Younan page in the PDF ACTS 2990 Introduction to the Coptic Language (Bohairic) with Hany Takla Lesson