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Nominal Tripartite Sentences (Definite Predicate)

Copula

A nominal sentence is a sentence that consists of a subject and a complement without a linking verb. In English, this would look something like: "Very interesting, those books!" The verb is implied to be "be" (i.e. "Those books 'are' very interesting."). The nominal sentences we will form in this section look very similar where in English they would use the verb "be." However, in Coptic, in place of a conjugated verb, there is a copula.

A copula is a connecting word, in particular a form of the verb "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 copular verbs.

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:

  • Subject
  • Copula
  • Predicate

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:

  • "The man is a teacher" - the subject is "the man" and the verb here is "is" so the (indefinite) predicate is "a teacher."
  • "The teacher is a man" - the subject is "the teacher" and the (indefinite) predicate is "a man."
  • "The teacher is the man" - the subject is "the teacher" and the (definite) predicate is "the man."
  • "This man is a teacher" - the subject is "This man", the verb is "is" and the (indefinite) predicate is "a teacher."
  • "This man is my teacher" - the subject is "This man", the verb is "is" and the (definite) predicate is "my teacher."
Definite Predicate

There are several forms of a nominal tripartite sentence. The first is applicable when both the subject and the object are definite nouns (including, but not limited to, nouns with a definite article, nouns with a possessive article, nouns with a demonstrative article, pronouns).

<Definite Subject> <Copula> <Definite Object>

<Definite Object> <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
Indefinite Predicate

There are two forms of nominal tripartite sentences when the object is indefinite. These forms are translated to English in the same way as the ones with a definite object.

The forms are:
<Definite Subject> <Indefinite Object> <Copula>

<Definite Subject><Indefinite Object>ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉTranslation
ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓⲡⲉmy father is a man
ⲁⲛⲟⲕⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓⲡⲉI am a man
ⲁⲛⲟⲕⲟⲩ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓⲧⲉI am a woman
̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥⲟⲩⲙⲁⲩⲧⲉShe is a mother
̀ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩϩⲁⲛϩⲓⲟⲙⲓⲛⲉThey are women
̀ⲛⲑⲟϥⲟⲩⲣⲉϥϯⲥⲃⲱⲡⲉHe is a teacher
ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓⲟⲩⲥⲏⲓⲛⲓⲡⲉThis man is a physician
ⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛⲟⲩⲥⲏⲓⲛⲓⲡⲉMy brother is a physician
ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧⲟⲩⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥⲡⲉMy father is a presbyter (priest)

<Indefinite Object> <Copula> <Definite Subject>

<Indefinite Object>ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ<Definite Subject>Translation
ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧmy father is a man
ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓⲡⲉⲁⲛⲟⲕI am a man
ⲟⲩ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓⲧⲉⲁⲛⲟⲕI am a woman

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
Biblical Examples
ⲧⲉϥϩⲉⲃⲥⲱ ⲟⲩ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲛϥⲱⲓ ̀ⲛϭⲁⲙⲟⲩⲗ ⲧⲉHis clothing is from camel hairs (Matthew 3:4)
ⲓⲱⲥⲏⲫ ⲇⲉ ⲡⲉⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲟⲩ̀ⲑⲙⲏⲓ ⲡⲉJoseph, her husband, was a righteous [person] (Matthew 1:19)
ⲟⲩ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲡⲉHe is the one from a holy spirit (Matthew 1:20)
ⲟⲩ̀ⲙϩⲁⲩ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲏⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲧⲟⲩ̀ϣⲃⲱⲃⲓan open tomb is their throat (Psalms 13:4)
ⲛⲓϩⲁⲡ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡϭⲟⲓⲥ ϩⲁⲛϩⲁⲡ ̀ⲙⲙⲏⲓ ⲛⲉThe judgments of the Lord are true judgments (Psalms 18:9)
̀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. ̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ ⲟⲩⲁⲗⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ
  3. ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ ⲧⲉ ϯ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ
  4. ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ ⲟⲩ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⲧⲉ
  5. ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲥⲟⲛ
  6. ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲟⲩⲥⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ
  7. ̀ⲛⲑⲟ ⲧⲉ ϯⲥⲱⲛⲓ
  8. ̀ⲛⲑⲟ ⲟⲩⲥⲱⲛⲓ ⲧⲉ
  9. ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ϩⲁⲛ̀ⲥⲛⲏⲟⲩ ⲛⲉ
  10. ̀ⲛⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲛⲉ
  11. ̀ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ
  12. ̀ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ ϩⲁⲛϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ ⲛⲉ
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.

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

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