Lesson 1: Nominal Tripartite Sentences (Definite Predicate)

Sentences

A sentence is a set of words that contains a subject (what the sentence is about) and a predicate (what is said about the subject). The predicate always contains a verb.

Nominal Sentences

In Coptic, a sentence can be made in which a noun or noun equivalent serves as the predicate (i.e. without the use of a verb). This is called a Nominal Sentence. In English, this would look something like: "Very interesting, those books!" The subject is "those books" and the predicate is "very interesting." The verb is implied to be "be (is/are)" (i.e. "Those books 'are' very interesting.").

In Coptic, there are three patterns of nominal sentences:

Copula

The copula is a connecting word; in particular, it is a form of the verb "to be" connecting a subject and a complement. In English, an example would be "You smell nice." Instead of "Your smell is nice" which uses the "is" conjugation of the verb "be," "smell" acts as a copula.

In Coptic, there are three copulas.

Masculine (am/is) Feminine (am/is) Plural (are)
ⲡⲉ ⲧⲉ ⲛⲉ

In this section, we will study a couple forms of a tripartite sentence. In a future lesson, we will look at bipartite sentences. Tripartite sentences have three components:

It can take on several forms depending on whether the predicate is definite or indefinite. The rules for choosing the gender and number of the copula are as follows:

  1. When both the subject and object are nouns and agree in gender and number with each other, the copula will also agree in gender and number with them.
  2. If there is a disagreement in gender or number, then the copula in the masculine form (ⲡⲉ) is used.
  3. If the subject is a pronoun in the 1st or 2nd person (i.e. ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ̀ⲛⲑⲟ ̀ⲛⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ) then the masculine singular form (ⲡⲉ) is used regardless of the gender and number of the object.

In a sentence, the subject is who or what the sentence is about (and more specifically, the noun or pronoun that performs the verb in the sentence); the predicate gives more information about the subject. For example, in English:

Definite Predicate

There are several forms of a nominal tripartite sentence. The first structure is used when both the subject and the object are definite noun phrases. At this point, we can define a "definite noun phrase" as any of the following; nouns with a definite article, nouns with a possessive article, nouns with a demonstrative article, pronouns.

Note that the word "predicate" is the more accurate term for what is referred to as the "object" below. However, "predicate" has a different meaning in Coptic than in English. In English, the "predicate" includes the verb (or copula). For that reason, I've chosen to use the word "object."

<Definite Subject> <Copula> <Definite Predicate>

<Definite Predicate> <Copula> <Definite Subject>

Definite Subject Copula Definite Object Translation
ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ This man is my father
ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲓⲱⲧ This man is the father
ⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⲧⲉ ϯⲙⲁⲩ This woman is the mother
ⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲟⲩⲙⲁⲩ This woman is their mother
ⲛⲁⲓⲭⲣⲏⲥⲧⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲙⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ These Christians are the children of God
ϯⲟⲩⲣⲱ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲁ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ The queen is my mother

What is the difference between the subject and object in this case? How do you know if the noun is the subject or the object? Does it even matter?

Consider the following [English] sentence: "I am the ruler." - What is the subject and what is the predicate/object? It is ambiguous! If the sentence is in response to the question "Who is the ruler?," then "the ruler" is the subject and "I" is the object. If the sentence is in response to the question "Who are you?" then "I" is the subject and "the ruler" is the object.

Application

Application 1: 

This is an excerpt from the Reconciliation Prayer of the Liturgy of St Gregory. 

ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲣⲉϥⲥⲁϩⲛⲓ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ̀ⲫⲣⲉϥϯ ̀ⲛⲛⲓ̀ⲁⲅⲁⲑⲟⲛ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ For you are the provider and the giver of all goodness

Application 2: 

This is an excerpt from the Diptych of the Liturgy of St Gregory. 

̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲡⲉ ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲡⲓⲛⲁⲏⲧ For you are God the merciful
Application 3:

The hymn ⲡⲓ̀ϩⲗⲟϫ.

 

Biblical Examples
̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ̀ⲡⲥⲱϯ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲉⲛⲛⲟⲃⲓ He is the propitiation of our sins (1 John 2:2)

Exercises

Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic

Translate the following into Coptic:

  1.  
Exercise 2: Translate to English

Translate the following phrases into English:

  1.  ̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲁⲗⲟⲩ
  2. ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ ⲧⲉ ϯ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ
  3. ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲥⲟⲛ
  4. ̀ⲛⲑⲟ ⲧⲉ ϯⲥⲱⲛⲓ
  5. ̀ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ
Exercise 3: Practice Text

Translate the following text:

ⲱ ⲧⲉⲛⲙⲁⲩ ̀ⲧ̀ⲁⲅⲓ̀ⲁ Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ ϯⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ ̀ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ̀ⲛⲑⲟ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲉⲛⲙⲁⲩ. ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲓϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲙⲡⲉϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲙⲙⲉⲛⲣⲓⲧ. ̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲛϭⲟⲓⲥ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ̀ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉϥ̀ⲉⲃⲓⲁⲓⲕ. ̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ̀ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉϥϣⲏⲣⲓ.

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Revision #6
Created 3 May 2023 03:33:32 by Morcous Wahba
Updated 19 September 2023 13:16:28 by Morcous Wahba