Lesson 2: Nominal Tripartite Sentences (Indefinite Predicate)

Indefinite Predicate Sentences

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/ⲛⲉ	Translation
ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ	ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ	ⲡⲉ	my father is a man
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ	ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ	ⲡⲉ	I am a man
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ	ⲟⲩ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ	ⲧⲉ	I am a woman
̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ	ⲟⲩⲙⲁⲩ	ⲧⲉ	She is a mother
̀ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ	ϩⲁⲛϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ	ⲛⲉ	They are women
̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ	ⲟⲩⲣⲉϥϯⲥⲃⲱ	ⲡⲉ	He is a teacher
ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ	ⲟⲩⲥⲏⲓⲛⲓ	ⲡⲉ	This man is a physician
ⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛ	ⲟⲩⲥⲏⲓⲛⲓ	ⲡⲉ	My brother is a physician
ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ	ⲟⲩⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ	ⲡⲉ	My father is a presbyter (priest)

<Indefinite Object> <Copula> <Definite Subject>

<Indefinite Object>	ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ	<Definite Subject>	Translation
ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ	ⲡⲉ	ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ	my father is a man
ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ	ⲡⲉ	ⲁⲛⲟⲕ	I am a man
ⲟⲩ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ	ⲧⲉ	ⲁⲛⲟⲕ	I am a woman

Application

Application 1: 

This is an excerpt from  

1. 
   

Application 2: 

This is an excerpt from 

Biblical Examples

ⲧⲉϥϩⲉⲃⲥⲱ ⲟⲩ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲛϥⲱⲓ ̀ⲛϭⲁⲙⲟⲩⲗ ⲧⲉ	His clothing is from camel hairs (Matthew 3:4)
ⲓⲱⲥⲏⲫ ⲇⲉ ⲡⲉⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲟⲩ̀ⲑⲙⲏⲓ ⲡⲉ	Joseph, her husband, was a righteous [person] (Matthew 1:19)
ⲟⲩ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲡⲉ	He is the one from a holy spirit (Matthew 1:20)
ⲟⲩ̀ⲙϩⲁⲩ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲏⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲧⲟⲩ̀ϣⲃⲱⲃⲓ	an open tomb is their throat (Psalms 13:4)
ⲛⲓϩⲁⲡ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡϭⲟⲓⲥ ϩⲁⲛϩⲁⲡ ̀ⲙⲙⲏⲓ ⲛⲉ	The judgments of the Lord are true judgments (Psalms 18:9)

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 ⲟⲩⲁⲗⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ
2. ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ ⲟⲩ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⲧⲉ
3. ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲟⲩⲥⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ
4. ̀ⲛⲑⲟ ⲟⲩⲥⲱⲛⲓ ⲧⲉ
5. ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ϩⲁⲛ̀ⲥⲛⲏⲟⲩ ⲛⲉ
6. ̀ⲛⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲛⲉ
7. ̀ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ ϩⲁⲛϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ ⲛⲉ

Exercise 3: Practice Text

Translate the following text:

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