Lesson 1: Near Demonstrative Pronouns
Near Demonstrative Article
Demonstratives refer to the English "this" and "that." The demonstrative "this" is called the near demonstrative since it refers to objects that are nearby (e.g. "this book") whereas "that" is called the far demonstrative since it refers to objects that are far away (e.g. "that book").
In Coptic, the near demonstratives can be denoted as an article attached to the noun, or as a pronoun.
When using the near demonstrative as an article, it describes the attached noun. You will notice that the first letter of the near demonstrative article is based on the gender and number of the object and are identical to the first letter of the definite (and possessive) articles:
ⲡ for a masculine objectⲧ for a feminine objectⲛ for a plural object
The rest of the article is always ⲁⲓ-.
Examples
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 |
- 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
- 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
- ⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲧⲣⲁⲡⲉⲍⲁ ⲑⲁⲓ - "this very table"
- ⲡⲁⲓⲙⲁ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ̀ⲛⲧⲁⲕ ⲫⲁⲓ - "this very place that is holy that is Yours"
- 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).
- ⲧⲁⲓⲕⲟⲗⲩⲙⲃⲏⲑⲣⲁ ⲑⲁⲓ - "this very basin"
Application 2:
This is an excerpt from the hymn of the censer ϯϣⲟⲩⲣⲏ.
Application 3:
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 4:3:
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:
My son is the manMy son is this manMy daughter is the womanMy daughters are these womenThis day and this nightThis name is your (m.) nameMy son is your (f.) brotherMy king is your (pl.) kingJesus Christ is our kingThis man is our priestThe elders are my friendsThese are my friendsThese are my siblingsThis is my sisterThis is my son
Exercise 2: Translate to English
Translate the following phrases into English:
ⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁϣⲏⲣⲓⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁϣⲏⲣⲓⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲁϣⲉⲣⲓⲛⲁⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲁϣⲉⲣⲓⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲁⲟⲩⲣⲟⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲁϭⲟⲓⲥⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛⲑⲁⲓ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲥⲱⲛⲓ
Exercise 3: Compose Ten Sentences
Compose ten sentences in Coptic about your family. You can use the names of your family members as the Subject or Object, or you can use titles/roles that describe them. For example, I might say Ⲛⲁⲇⲉⲣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ (Nader is my father) or Ⲃⲉⲃⲓⲁⲛ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲙⲁⲩ (Vevian is my mother). I may also say ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲟⲩⲏⲃ (my father is the priest) if my father was the priest. Feel free to use the Coptic Dictionary to find other nouns that may be used to describe your family.
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