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 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 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) |
| ̀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:
Exercise 2: Translate to English
Translate the following phrases into English:
- ̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲁⲗⲟⲩ
- ̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ ⲟⲩⲁⲗⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ
- ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ ⲧⲉ ϯ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ
- ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ ⲟⲩ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⲧⲉ
- ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲥⲟⲛ
- ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲟⲩⲥⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ
- ̀ⲛⲑⲟ ⲧⲉ ϯⲥⲱⲛⲓ
- ̀ⲛⲑⲟ ⲟⲩⲥⲱⲛⲓ ⲧⲉ
- ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ϩⲁⲛ̀ⲥⲛⲏⲟⲩ ⲛⲉ
- ̀ⲛⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲛⲉ
- ̀ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ
- ̀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