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Lesson 2: Possessive Articles

Possessive Articles

When assigning a possessive article to a noun, several things are taken into account:

  • The perspective, gender, and number of the subject (i.e. the possessor)
  • The gender and number of the object (i.e. the possessed)
Masculine Object Feminine Object Plural Object English Person Number
ⲡⲁ- ⲧⲁ- ⲛⲁ- My 1st  Singular
ⲡⲉⲛ- ⲧⲉⲛ- ⲛⲉⲛ- Our 1st Plural
ⲡⲉⲕ- ⲧⲉⲕ- ⲛⲉⲕ- Your (m.) 2nd Singular
ⲡⲉ- ⲧⲉ- ⲛⲉ- Your (f.) 2nd Singular
ⲡⲉⲧⲉⲛ- ⲧⲉⲧⲉⲛ- ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲛ- Your (pl.) 2nd Plural
ⲡⲉϥ- ⲧⲉϥ- ⲛⲉϥ- His 3rd Singular
ⲡⲉⲥ- ⲧⲉⲥ- ⲛⲉⲥ- Her 3rd Singular
ⲡⲟⲩ- ⲧⲟⲩ- ⲛⲟⲩ- Their 3rd Plural

The first letter of the possessive article is based on the gender and number of the object and are identical to the first letter of the definite article:

  • ⲡ for a masculine object
  • ⲧ for a feminine object
  • ⲛ for a plural object

The rest of the article is based on the perspective, gender and number of the subject:

  • -ⲁ for 1st Person Singular (i.e. My)
  • -ⲉⲛ for 1st Person Plural (i.e. Our)
  • -ⲉⲕ for 2nd Person Masculine (i.e. the masculine Your)
  • -ⲉ for 2nd Person Feminine (i.e. the feminine Your)
  • -ⲉⲧⲉⲛ for 2nd Person Plural (i.e. the plural Your)
  • -ⲉϥ for 3rd Person Masculine (i.e. His)
  • -ⲉⲥ for 3rd Person Feminine (i.e. Her)
  • -ⲟⲩ for 3rd Person Plural (i.e. Their)

We will continue to see both of these patterns (i.e. ⲡ for masculine, ⲧ for feminine, ⲛ for plural; and ⲁ for 1st Person Singular, ⲉⲕ for 2nd Person Masculine, ⲉ for 2nd Person Feminine, etc.) throughout the Coptic language.

Examples
ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ my father ⲧⲁⲙⲁⲩ my mother ⲛⲁⲓⲟϯ my fathers
ⲡⲉⲕⲓⲱⲧ your (m.) father ⲧⲉⲕⲙⲁⲩ your (m.) mother ⲛⲉⲕⲓⲟϯ your (m.) fathers
ⲡⲉⲓⲱⲧ your (f.) father ⲧⲉⲙⲁⲩ your (f.) mother ⲛⲉⲓⲟϯ your (f.) fathers
ⲡⲉϥⲓⲱⲧ his father ⲧⲉϥⲙⲁⲩ his mother ⲛⲉϥⲓⲟϯ his fathers
ⲡⲉⲥⲓⲱⲧ her father ⲧⲉⲥⲙⲁⲩ her mother ⲛⲉⲥⲓⲟϯ her fathers
ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ our father ⲧⲉⲛⲙⲁⲩ our mother ⲛⲉⲛⲓⲟϯ our fathers
ⲡⲉⲧⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ your (pl.) father ⲧⲉⲧⲉⲛⲙⲁⲩ your (pl.) mother ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲛⲓⲟϯ your (pl.) fathers
ⲡⲟⲩⲓⲱⲧ their father ⲧⲟⲩⲙⲁⲩ their mother ⲛⲟⲩⲓⲟϯ their fathers

Application

Application 1: 

This is an excerpt from <>. 

Exercises

Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic

Translate the following into Coptic:


Exercise 2: Translate to English

Translate the following phrases into English:

Resources

  • Page 44 of the Sameh Younan PDF

  • Lesson 4 of Moawad Daoud

  • Page 132 of Nabil Matar

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