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.
PossessiveArticles Constructioǹⲙ and ̀ⲛ
See<possessed 3Bnoun> lessoǹⲙ<possessor>2.4.iiwhen 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:
- After an indefinite noun (e.g. ⲟⲩⲃⲱⲕⲓ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ)
- Nouns with demonstrative prefixes (ⲡⲁⲓϫⲱⲙ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛ)
- 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:
Exercise 2: Translate to English
Translate the following phrases into English:
Resources
"A Study in Bohairic Coptic" by Nabil Matar; pp424
See Moawad Daoud Lesson
See Sameh Younan page in the PDF
ACTS 2990 Introduction to the Coptic Language (Bohairic) with Hany Takla Lesson