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Coptic Language
Coptic words, phrases and terminology.
01Akhmimic DialectAkhmimic is an Upper Egyptian dialect of Coptic, associated especially with Thebes, whose written use flourished in the fourth and fifth centuries before gradually yielding to Sahidic.[^1][^2]02Awlad al-AssalThe Awlad al-Assal were a prominent medieval Coptic family whose thirteenth-century writers contributed to canon law, biblical scholarship, theology, and the study of the Coptic language.[^1][^3]03Bohairic CopticBohairic is a dialect of Coptic attested in Gospel manuscripts, saints’ lives, and liturgical texts, including the Anaphora of Saint Cyril.[^1][^2][^3]04Bohairic pronunciationBohairic pronunciation is studied through manuscript spellings, transcriptions, and recorded liturgical traditions; historical reconstruction must distinguish these sources from modern reformed usage.[^1][^2]05Coptic alphabetThe Coptic alphabet combines predominantly Greek letters with signs derived from demotic Egyptian. Its several varieties reflect the writing traditions of different Coptic dialects.[^1][^2]06Coptic Christian Literature in ArabicCopto-Arabic literature encompasses Arabic writings and translations associated with Coptic Christianity, including history, theology, biblical commentary, liturgical texts, and religious poetry.[^1][^2][^3]07Coptic DialectsCoptic dialects are related linguistic varieties distinguished by pronunciation, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary; Sahidic and Bohairic also served as languages of communication beyond individual localities.[^1][^2]08Coptic Influence on Egyptian ArabicCoptic contributed vocabulary and influenced the phonology of Egyptian Arabic. Scholars disagree over the extent of its lexical legacy and the interpretation of language contact during Egypt’s transition to Arabic.[^1][^5]09Coptic PaleographyCoptic paleography examines ancient handwriting, writing materials, and scribal practices to read, date, and locate documents and illuminate their cultural setting.[^1]10Coptic Pronominal SuffixesCoptic suffix-pronouns have forms that vary with grammatical environment. The Sahidic evidence describes several such variants, while dialect H illustrates the development of a secondary pronominal suffix.[^1][^2][^5]11Coptic Verbal MorphologyCoptic verbal morphology comprises conjugation bases, converters, negation patterns, and variable verb forms, with substantial differences among literary dialects.[^1][^2][^3]12Coptic-Arabic LexicographyCoptic-Arabic glossaries preserved knowledge of Coptic through Arabic translations, helping readers understand biblical and liturgical texts and providing resources for later linguistic scholarship.[^1][^2]13Fayyumic CopticFayyumic is a Coptic dialect associated with the Fayyum oasis and belonging to the Middle Coptic group, with several subdialects and surviving biblical, religious, and inscriptional witnesses.[^1][^2][^6][^8][^10]14Inaugural Homily of Pope Mark IIDelivered after Mark II’s enthronement in Alexandria, the inaugural homily survives in Coptic and emphasizes Christ’s real humanity and the unity of his divine and human nature without confusion.[^1][^3]15LahnLahn (plural alhan) is an Arabic term used in Coptic worship for a recognized melody or melody type assigned to a liturgical text.[^1]16Menas of EthiopiaMenas, also known as Minas, was an Ethiopian bishop traditionally placed in the sixth century, remembered for his homilies and for biblical and historical translations attributed to him.[^1][^3][^4]17Oxyrhynchite CopticOxyrhynchite Coptic, also called Mesokemic or Middle Egyptian, is a minor Coptic dialect that developed a highly standardized written form, probably flourishing chiefly in the fourth and fifth centuries.[^1]18Papyrus M 636Papyrus M 636 is a Coptic liturgical manuscript in the Pierpont Morgan collection, dated to the ninth or eighth–ninth century, and a principal witness to dialect H, or Hermopolitan.[^1][^4]19Sahidic CopticSahidic is a dialect of Coptic attested in biblical manuscripts, monastic literature, romances, inscriptions, and medieval grammatical studies.[^1][^4][^5][^6][^7]