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Lesson 4: Near Demonstrative Articles and Pronouns

Near Demonstrative Article

Demonstratives refer to the English "this" and "that." The demonstrative "this" is called the near demonstrative since it refers to objects that are nearby (e.g. "this book") whereas "that" is called the far demonstrative since it refers to objects that are far away (e.g. "that book").

In Coptic, the near demonstratives can be denoted as an article attached to the noun, or as a pronoun.

Masculine (this) Feminine (this) Plural (these)
ⲡⲁⲓ- ⲧⲁⲓ- ⲛⲁⲓ-

When using the near demonstrative as an article, it describes the attached noun. You will notice that the first letter of the near demonstrative article is based on the gender and number of the object and are identical to the first letter of the definite (and possessive) articles:

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

The rest of the article is always ⲁⲓ-.

Examples
ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ this man ⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ this woman ⲛⲁⲓ̀ⲁⲗⲱⲟⲩ̀ⲓ these boys
ⲡⲁⲓⲥⲟⲛ this brother ⲧⲁⲓϣⲟⲩⲣⲏ this censer ⲛⲁⲓϫⲓϫ these hands
ⲡⲁⲓϣⲏⲣⲓ this son ⲧⲁⲓϣⲉⲣⲓ this daughter ⲛⲁⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ these women
ⲡⲁⲓⲟⲩⲣⲟ this king ⲧⲁⲓⲟⲩⲣⲱ this queen ⲛⲁⲓⲓⲟϯ these fathers
ⲡⲁⲓⲟⲩⲏⲃ this priest ⲧⲁⲓⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ this church ⲛⲁⲓ̀ⲥⲛⲏⲟⲩ these brothers
ⲡⲁⲓ̀ϣⲫⲏⲣ this friend (m.) ⲧⲁⲓ̀ϣⲫⲉⲣⲓ this friend (f.) ⲛⲁⲓⲟⲩⲣⲱⲟⲩ these kings
ⲡⲁⲓ̀ⲁⲫⲟⲧ this cup ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲓⲕ this bread ⲡⲁⲓⲥⲱⲙⲁ this body

Near Demonstrative Pronoun

Masculine (this) Feminine (this) Plural (these)
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲑⲁⲓ ⲛⲁⲓ

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. For example, instead of saying "the man" we may say "him." Or instead of saying "the big brown chair," we may say "it." Demonstrative Pronouns work in the same way. When using the near demonstrative as a pronoun, it takes the place of a noun. For example instead of saying "this man" (and having the demonstrative "this" describe the subject "man"), you may want to say "this is the man" where the demonstrative "this" acts as a pronoun and the subject of the sentence, and "man" acts as the object.

Examples
<Definite Subject> ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ <Definite Object> Translation
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ  ⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ This is the man
ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ These are the women
ⲫⲁⲓ  ⲡⲉ ̀ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲙⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ This is the Son of God
ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲁ̀ⲥⲛⲏⲟⲩ These are my brothers
Emphatic Construction

There is a special set construction in Coptic that uses both the Near Demonstrative Article and the Near Demonstrative Pronoun as a way of emphasis.

ⲡⲁⲓⲁⲫⲟⲧ ⲫⲁⲓ: Translating this literally would render "this chalice this" which is nonsense. A better way to translate the emphasis on the demonstrative is: "this very chalice."

We will see this construction in Application 1 below.

Application

Application 1: 

This is an excerpt from the Thanksgiving Prayer as prayed by the priest during the Divine Liturgy, the Crowning Ceremony and the Consecration of the Waters of Baptism. 

̀ⲁⲗⲓⲧⲟⲩ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁⲣⲟⲛ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲡⲉⲕⲗⲁⲟⲥ ⲧⲏⲣϥ ⲛⲉⲙ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲧⲣⲁⲡⲉⲍⲁ ⲑⲁⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲡⲁⲓⲙⲁ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ̀ⲛⲧⲁⲕ ⲫⲁⲓ. …take them away from us and from all Your people, and from this table, and from this Your holy place.
ⲛⲉⲙ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲛⲁⲓⲡⲁⲧϣⲉⲗⲉⲧ ⲛⲁⲓ and from this bridegroom and bride
ⲛⲉⲙ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲧⲁⲓⲕⲟⲗⲩⲙⲃⲏⲑⲣⲁ ⲑⲁⲓ and from this basin
  1. ⲡⲉⲕⲗⲁⲟⲥ ⲧⲏⲣϥ - "All Your people"
    • The use of ⲧⲏⲣϥ (and ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ, ⲧⲏⲣⲉⲛ, etc.) will be covered in a future lesson, but it is commonplace and you should have a rough understanding of it by now

  2. ⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲧⲣⲁⲡⲉⲍⲁ ⲑⲁⲓ - "this very table"

  3. ⲡⲁⲓⲙⲁ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ̀ⲛⲧⲁⲕ ⲫⲁⲓ - "this very place that is holy that is Yours"

  4. ⲛⲁⲓⲡⲁⲧϣⲉⲗⲉⲧ ⲛⲁⲓ - "this very bridegroom and bride"
    • The noun here ϣⲉⲗⲉⲧ can mean bride or groom and in the plural typically means both.
    • In Arabic this is translated as العروسين, but there is no single word to represent that in English ("newlywed" might be the closest) so we translate it as "the bridegroom and bride."
    • Although it is plural, you see that in both Arabic and English we translated it as dual (Arabic through conjugation, English through listing two subjects). This is due to the context (i.e. a Crowning Ceremony with one bridegroom and one bride).

  5. ⲧⲁⲓⲕⲟⲗⲩⲙⲃⲏⲑⲣⲁ ⲑⲁⲓ - "this very basin"
Application 2:

This is an excerpt from the hymn of the censer ϯϣⲟⲩⲣⲏ.

ϯϣⲟⲩⲣⲏ ̀ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲃ ⲧⲉ ϯⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ The censer of gold is the Virgin
ⲡⲉⲥⲁⲣⲱⲙⲁⲧⲁ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲛⲥⲱⲧⲏⲣ Her aroma is our Savior
Application 3:

These are responses from the Institution Narrative in the Divine Liturgy.

ⲫⲁⲓ ̀ⲁⲣⲧⲓϥ ̀ⲉⲡⲁⲉⲣ̀ⲫⲙⲉⲩ̀ⲓ This do in remembrance of Me
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲑⲙⲏⲓ. ⲁⲙⲏⲛ This is in truth. Amen.
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲑⲙⲏⲓ. ⲁⲙⲏⲛ This also is in truth. Amen.
Application 4:

These are excerpts from the Confession Prayer at the end of the Liturgy (the priest's confession as well as the deacon's confession).

ϫⲉ ⲑⲁⲓ ⲧⲉ ϯⲥⲁⲣⲝ ̀ⲛⲣⲉϥⲧⲁⲛϧⲟ... This is the life-giving flesh
ϯⲛⲁϩϯ ϯⲛⲁϩϯ ϯⲛⲁϩϯ ϫⲉ ⲑⲁⲓ ⲧⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲑⲙⲏⲓ ⲁⲙⲏⲛ I believe, I believe, I believe, that this is in truth. Amen.
Biblical Examples
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ̀ⲡⲟⲩⲣⲟ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲓⲓⲟⲩⲇⲁⲓ "this is the king of the Jews" (Matthew 27:37)
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲥⲱⲙⲁ "this is My Body" (Luke 22:19)
ϧⲉⲛ ϯ̀ⲕⲣⲓⲥⲓⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲁⲓϫⲱⲟⲩ "in the Judgment with this generation" (Matthew 12:41)

Exercises

Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic

Translate the following phrases into Coptic:

  1. My son is the man
  2. My son is this man
  3. My daughter is the woman
  4. My daughters are these women
  5. This day and this night
  6. This name is your (m.) name
  7. My son is your (f.) brother
  8. My king is your (pl.) king
  9. Jesus Christ is our king 
  10. This man is our priest
  11. The elders are my friends
  12. These are my friends
  13. These are my siblings
  14. This is my sister
  15. This is my son
Exercise 2: Translate to English

Translate the following phrases into English:

  1. ⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁϣⲏⲣⲓ
  2. ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁϣⲏⲣⲓ
  3. ⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲁϣⲉⲣⲓ
  4. ⲛⲁⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲁϣⲉⲣⲓ
  5. ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲁⲟⲩⲣⲟ
  6. ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲁϭⲟⲓⲥ
  7. ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛ
  8. ⲑⲁⲓ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲥⲱⲛⲓ
Exercise 3: Compose Ten Sentences

Compose ten sentences in Coptic about your family. You can use the names of your family members as the Subject or Object, or you can use titles/roles that describe them. For example, I might say Ⲛⲁⲇⲉⲣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ (Nader is my father) or Ⲃⲉⲃⲓⲁⲛ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲙⲁⲩ (Vevian is my mother). I may also say ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲟⲩⲏⲃ (my father is the priest) if my father was the priest. Feel free to use the Coptic Dictionary to find other nouns that may be used to describe your family.

Resources

  • Page 46 of Sameh Younan PDF
  • Page 143 of Nabil Mattar
  • Lesson 3 of Moawad Daoud
  • ACTS 2990 Introduction to the Coptic Language (Bohairic) with Hany Takla Lesson 2b
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