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Lesson 3: Demonstratives

Demonstratives

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.

Near Demonstrative Articles
Masculine (this) Feminine (this) Plural (these)
ⲡⲁⲓ- ⲧⲁⲓ- ⲛⲁⲓ-

PageWhen 46using the near demonstrative as an article, it describes the attached noun. You will notice that the first letter of Samehthe Younannear PDF

demonstrative

Pagearticle 143is based on the gender and number of Nabilthe Mattar

object

Lessonand 3are identical to the first letter of Moawadthe Daouddefinite (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-.

FarExamples
ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓthis manⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓthis womanⲛⲁⲓ̀ⲁⲗⲱⲟⲩ̀ⲓthese boys
ⲡⲁⲓⲥⲟⲛthis brotherⲧⲁⲓϣⲟⲩⲣⲏthis censerⲛⲁⲓϫⲓϫthese hands
ⲡⲁⲓϣⲏⲣⲓthis sonⲧⲁⲓϣⲉⲣⲓthis daughterⲛⲁⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓthese women
ⲡⲁⲓⲟⲩⲣⲟthis kingⲧⲁⲓⲟⲩⲣⲱthis queenⲛⲁⲓⲓⲟϯthese fathers
ⲡⲁⲓⲟⲩⲏⲃthis priestⲧⲁⲓⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁthis churchⲛⲁⲓ̀ⲥⲛⲏⲟⲩthese brothers
ⲡⲁⲓ̀ϣⲫⲏⲣthis friend (m.)ⲧⲁⲓ̀ϣⲫⲉⲣⲓthis friend (f.)ⲛⲁⲓⲟⲩⲣⲱⲟⲩthese kings
ⲡⲁⲓ̀ⲁⲫⲟⲧthis cupⲡⲁⲓⲱⲓⲕthis breadⲡⲁⲓⲥⲱⲙⲁthis body
Near Demonstrative Pronouns
Masculine (this)Feminine (this)Plural (these)
ⲫⲁⲓⲑⲁⲓⲛⲁⲓ

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.

Emphatic Construction

There is a special set construction in Coptic that uses both the Near Demonstrative Article

Pageand 46the Near Demonstrative Pronoun as a way of Sameh Younan PDFemphasis.

Pageⲡⲁⲓⲁⲫⲟⲧ 557ⲫⲁⲓ: 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.

Nominal Tripartite Sentence 1

There are several forms of Nabila Mattarnominal tripartite sentence, which we will explore in the next lesson. For now, we will learn one easy structure to create sentences with what we know so far. This structure 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, demonstrative pronoun).

Lesson<Definite 12Subject> ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ <Definite Object>

Daoud

<Definite Subject>ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ<Definite Object>Translation
ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓⲡⲉⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧThis man is my father
ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓⲡⲉⲡⲓⲓⲱⲧThis man is the father
ⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓⲧⲉϯⲙⲁⲩThis woman is the mother
ⲧⲁⲓ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓⲧⲉⲧⲟⲩⲙⲁⲩThis woman is their mother
ⲫⲁⲓⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓThis is the man
ⲛⲁⲓⲛⲉⲛⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓThese are the women
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ̀ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲙⲫⲛⲟⲩϯThis is the Son of MoawadGod
ⲛⲁⲓⲭⲣⲏⲥⲧⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲛⲉⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲙⲫⲛⲟⲩϯThese Christians are the children of God
ⲛⲁⲓⲛⲉⲛⲁ̀ⲥⲛⲏⲟⲩThese are my brothers
ϯⲟⲩⲣⲱⲧⲉⲧⲁ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓThe queen is my mother

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 ⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲑⲙⲏⲓ. This…take isthem alsoaway truefrom us and from all Your people, and from this table, and from this Your holy place.
ⲛⲉⲙ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲛⲁⲓⲡⲁⲧϣⲉⲗⲉⲧ ⲛⲁⲓand from this bridegroom and bride
ⲛⲉⲙ ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲧⲁⲓⲕⲟⲗⲩⲙⲃⲏⲑⲣⲁ ⲑⲁⲓand 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 ϯⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥThe censer of gold is the Virgin
ⲡⲉⲥⲁⲣⲱⲙⲁⲧⲁ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲛⲥⲱⲧⲏⲣHer aroma is our Savior
Application 3:

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

ⲫⲁⲓ ̀ⲁⲣⲧⲓϥ ̀ⲉⲡⲁⲉⲣ̀ⲫⲙⲉⲩ̀ⲓThis do in remembrance of Me
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲑⲙⲏⲓ. ⲁⲙⲏⲛThis is in truth. Amen.
ⲫⲁⲓ ⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲑⲙⲏⲓ. ⲁⲙⲏⲛThis 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 ⲁⲙⲏⲛI 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 manday and this womannight
  6. This name is your (m.) name
  7. My son is your (f.) brother
    8. and
  8. My thisking 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 boyis andmy this girl
  16. This father and this mother
  17. The father and these sons
  18. These brothers and sisters
  19. These fathers and mothers
  20. These women and men
  21. These boys and girls
  22. These kings and queensson
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
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