Lesson 5: Genitive

Genitive

The Genitive is a preposition that is used to denote possession (i.e. when some noun or pronoun belongs to some other noun or pronoun). In Coptic, the Genitive can be denoted by one of the articles ̀ⲙ or ̀ⲛ, or the preposition ̀ⲛⲧⲉ.

Articles ̀ⲙ and ̀ⲛ

<possessed noun> ̀ⲙ<possessor> when the possessor noun starts with ⲙ ⲡ ⲃ ⲫ ⲯ.

<possessed noun> ̀ⲛ<possessor> in all other cases.

Examples:

̀ⲡⲏⲓ ̀ⲙⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ	the house of the man
̀ⲡⲟⲩⲣⲟ ̀ⲛϯⲃⲁⲕⲓ	the king of the city
̀ⲡⲟⲩⲧⲁϩ ̀ⲙⲡⲓ̀ϣϣⲏⲛ	the fruit of the tree
̀ⲙ̀ⲫⲣⲟ ̀ⲙⲡⲓⲡⲁⲣⲁⲇⲓⲥⲟⲥ	the door of the Paradise
̀ⲡϫⲓⲛ̀ⲓ ̀ⲙⲡⲓⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ	the coming of Christ
̀ⲡϣⲱⲕ ̀ⲛϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲁⲙⲁ̀ⲟ	the depth of the riches
̀ⲑⲛⲉϫⲓ ̀ⲛϯⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ	the womb of the Virgin
̀ⲡϣⲟⲩϣⲟⲩ ̀ⲛⲛⲓⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ	the pride of the virgins
ϯⲑⲉⲟⲧⲟⲕⲓⲁ ̀ⲙ̀ⲡ̀ⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ̀ⲙ̀ⲡ̀ⲧⲓⲟⲟⲩ	the Theotokia of Thursday

Preposition ̀ⲛⲧⲉ

<possessed noun> ̀ⲛⲧⲉ <possessor> 

The use of ̀ⲛⲧⲉ for the possessive can be used in any situation, but is especially used in the following situations:

1. After an indefinite noun (e.g. ⲟⲩⲃⲱⲕⲓ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ)
2. Nouns with demonstrative prefixes (ⲡⲁⲓϫⲱⲙ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛ)
3. Nouns with a following modifier (̀ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲛϭⲁⲗⲉ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ̀ⲫⲣⲱⲙⲓ)

Examples:

ⲟⲩⲃⲱⲕⲓ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ	a servant (f.) of God
ⲡⲁⲓϫⲱⲙ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛ	this book of my brother
̀ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲛϭⲁⲗⲉ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ̀ⲫⲣⲱⲙⲓ	the lame son of the man
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲉⲕⲓⲟϯ	I am the God of your fathers
ⲡⲓⲗⲟⲅⲟⲥ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲫⲓⲱⲧ	the Logos of the Father
̀ⲡϣⲟⲩϣⲟⲩ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲉⲛⲅⲉⲛⲟⲥ	the pride of our race

Pronominal Possessor

<possessed noun> ̀ⲛⲧ= 

The pronominal form of the preposition ̀ⲛⲧⲉ is ̀ⲛⲧ=

1st Person S	My	̀ⲛⲧⲏⲓ
2nd Person M	Your (m.)	̀ⲛⲧⲁⲕ
2nd Person F	Your (f.)	̀ⲛⲧⲉ
3rd Person M	His	̀ⲛⲧⲁϥ
3rd Person F	Her	̀ⲛⲧⲁⲥ
1st Person P	Our	̀ⲛⲧⲁⲛ
2nd Person P	Your (p.)	̀ⲛⲧⲱⲧⲉⲛ
3rd Person P	Their	̀ⲛⲧⲱⲟⲩ

Examples:

ⲟⲩⲃⲱⲕ ̀ⲛⲧⲁⲕ	a servant of yours
ⲡⲁⲓϫⲱⲙ ̀ⲛⲧⲁϥ	this book of his
ϣⲟⲙⲧ ̀ⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲛⲧⲁⲥ	three sons of hers

Possessive Pronouns

These pronouns are used in place of a possessive noun ("My <noun>")

	English	m. Object	f. Object	p. Object
1st Person S	Mine	ⲫⲱⲓ	ⲑⲱⲓ	ⲛⲟⲩⲓ
2nd Person M	Yours (m.)	ⲫⲱⲕ	ⲑⲱⲕ	ⲛⲟⲩⲕ
2nd Person F	Yours (f.)	ⲫⲱ	ⲑⲱ	ⲛⲟⲩ
3rd Person M	His	ⲫⲱϥ	ⲑⲱϥ	ⲛⲟⲩϥ
3rd Person F	Hers	ⲫⲱⲥ	ⲑⲱⲥ	ⲛⲟⲩⲥ
1st Person P	Ours	ⲫⲱⲛ	ⲑⲱⲛ	ⲛⲟⲩⲛ
2nd Person P	Yours (p.)	ⲫⲱⲧⲉⲛ	ⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ	ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉⲛ
3rd Person P	Theirs	ⲫⲱⲟⲩ	ⲑⲱⲟⲩ	ⲛⲟⲩⲟⲩ

Examples:

ⲑⲱⲕ ⲧⲉ ϯϫⲟⲙ	Yours is the power
ⲫⲱⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲕⲁϩⲓ ⲧⲏⲣϥ	Yours is all the earth
ⲫⲱⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲱⲟⲩ ϣⲁ ⲛⲓⲉⲛⲉϩ	Yours is the glory forever
ⲡⲁⲓϫⲟⲓ ⲫⲱϥ ⲡⲉ	this ship is his

Exercises

Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic

Translate the following into Coptic:

1. 
   

Exercise 2: Translate to English

Translate the following phrases into English:

1. 
   

Resources

"A Study in Bohairic Coptic" by Nabil Matar; p424

See Moawad Daoud Lesson 

See Sameh Younan page  in the PDF

ACTS 2990 Introduction to the Coptic Language (Bohairic) with Hany Takla Lesson