Lesson 1: Indefinite Articles
Nouns
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing or idea. For example: Peter, bicycle, dog, Alexandria, and truth are all nouns. Coptic nouns are classified by number and gender.
Number: They can be singular (s.) or plural (pl.) like in English. Contrast this with Arabic where a noun can be singular, dual (du.) or plural. Many Coptic nouns do not have a distinct plural form, but some do. We will call these the irregular plural form. The number (singular or plural) is only evident from the preceding article.
Gender: Singular nouns can also be either masculine (m.) or feminine (f.) like in French, Spanish or Arabic. There is no neuter gender in Coptic (like in Greek or English).
Indefinite Articles
Indefinite articles are used to denote a noun that is not specified. For example, when we talk of "a book," we are referring to any book. Coptic has two forms of the indefinite article (singular and plural), which are attached directly to the beginning of the noun.
ⲟⲩ: Singular Indefinite Article for both masculine and feminine nouns. Translated to "a" or "an" in English
ϩⲁⲛ: Plural Indefinite Article which translates to the "s" at the end of a noun
Examples
| ⲟⲩ | a, an | ϩⲁⲛ | -s |
| ⲟⲩⲣⲁⲛ | a name | ϩⲁⲛⲣⲁⲛ | names |
| ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ | a man | ϩⲁⲛⲣⲱⲙⲓ | men |
| ⲟⲩⲥ̀ϩⲓⲙⲓ | a woman | ϩⲁⲛϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ | women |
| ⲟⲩϧⲉⲗⲗⲟ | an elder | ϩⲁⲛϧⲉⲗⲗⲟⲓ | elders |
| ⲟⲩⲃⲁⲗ | an eye | ϩⲁⲛⲃⲁⲗ | eyes |
| ⲟⲩⲛⲟⲩϯ | a god | ϩⲁⲛⲛⲟⲩϯ | gods |
| ⲟⲩⲥ̀ⲕⲏⲛⲏ | a dome | ϩⲁⲛⲥ̀ⲕⲏⲛⲏ | domes |
| ⲟⲩⲗⲩⲭⲛⲓⲁ | a tower | ϩⲁⲛⲗⲩⲭⲛⲓⲁ | towers |
Application
Application 1: Singular Articles
This is an excerpt from the priest's prayer during the Offertory. All of the definite and indefinite articles are underlined below, and an explanation for each follows.
| ⲟⲩⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲧⲁⲓⲟ: ⲟⲩⲧⲁⲓⲟ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲱⲟⲩ: ̀ⲛϯⲡⲁⲛⲁⲅⲓⲁ ̀ⲧⲣⲓⲁⲥ ̀ⲫⲓⲱⲧ ⲛⲉⲙ ̀ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓ̀ⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ̀ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ. ⲟⲩϩⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲕⲱⲧ ̀ⲉϫⲉⲛ ϯⲟⲓ ̀ⲙⲙⲁⲩⲁⲧⲥ ̀ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ̀ⲛⲕⲁⲑⲟⲗⲓⲕⲏ ̀ⲛⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲏ ̀ⲛⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ̀ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ: ̀ⲁⲙⲏⲛ. | Glory and honor, honor and glory, to the All-Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Peace and edification to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church of God. Amen. |
- ⲟⲩⲱⲟⲩ - the article ⲟⲩ is the singular indefinite article. ⲟⲩⲱⲟⲩ means "glory"
- ⲟⲩⲧⲁⲓⲟ - the article ⲟⲩ is the singular indefinite article. ⲟⲩⲧⲁⲓⲟ means "honor"
- ⲟⲩϩⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ - The article ⲟⲩ is the singular indefinite article. So ⲟⲩϩⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ means "peace."
- ⲟⲩⲕⲱⲧ - The article ⲟⲩ is the singular indefinite article. ⲕⲱⲧ is a verb meaning "to edify." It is used here as a noun, so ⲟⲩⲕⲱⲧ means "edification."
Application 2: Plural Indefinite Articles
This is an excerpt from Psalm 148 as it is chanted during the Fourth Canticle in the Vespers and Midnight Praises. All of the plural indefinite articles are underlined below, and an explanation for each follows.
| ϩⲁⲛϧⲉⲗϣⲓⲣⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ϩⲁⲛⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ ⲁⲗⲗⲏⲗⲟⲩⲓⲁ: ϩⲁⲛϧⲉⲗⲗⲟⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ϩⲁⲛⲁⲗⲱⲟⲩ̀ⲓ | Both young men and maidens alleluia: old men and children. |
- ϩⲁⲛϧⲉⲗϣⲓⲣⲓ - The article ϩⲁⲛ is the plural indefinite article. So ϩⲁⲛϧⲉⲗϣⲓⲣⲓ means "young men"
- ϩⲁⲛⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ - The article ϩⲁⲛ is the plural indefinite article. So ϩⲁⲛⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ means "virgins" or "maidens"
- ϩⲁⲛϧⲉⲗⲗⲟⲓ - The article ϩⲁⲛ is the plural indefinite article. So ϩⲁⲛϧⲉⲗⲗⲟⲓ means "old men" or "elders"
- ϩⲁⲛⲁⲗⲱⲟⲩ̀ⲓ - The article ϩⲁⲛ is the plural indefinite article. So ϩⲁⲛⲁⲗⲱⲟⲩ̀ⲓ means "children"
Exercises
Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic
Translate the following phrases into Coptic. Note that you can use the preposition ⲛⲉⲙ as "and" to connect two nouns.
- a man and a woman
- a boy and a girl
- a father and a mother
- a father and a son
- fathers and mothers
- women and men
- boys and girls
- a king and a queen
Exercise 2: Translate to English
Translate the following phrases into English:
- ⲟⲩⲥⲟⲛ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲥⲱⲛⲓ
- ⲟⲩϧⲉⲗⲗⲟ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲓⲱⲧ
- ϩⲁⲛⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ϩⲁⲛϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ
- ϩⲁⲛⲥⲟⲛ ⲛⲉⲙ ϩⲁⲛ̀ϣⲫⲏⲣ
- ⲟⲩⲟⲩⲣⲟ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲟⲩⲣⲱ
- ⲟⲩⲥⲁⲃⲏ
- ⲟⲩⲓⲱⲧ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲙⲁⲩ
- ⲟⲩⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲉϫⲱⲣϩ
- ⲟⲩⲣⲁⲛ
Resources
- Moawad Daoud Lesson 1
- ACTS 2990 Lesson 2A
- Sameh Younan Chapter 2 (2.1.i, 2.1.ii)
- Nabil Mattar Chapter 2, Chapter 4
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