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How was Coptic formed?

Unknown
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
???The language, Coptic, has been part of our relligion for a REALLY long time, but I still don't understand how it was formed. It has some words that are close to Arabic, then again, Coptic isn't a country language. And it's not known commonly either. Can someone give a brief explanation or give me a site? ???

:DThanks

Comments

  • Mark423Mark423
    As far as my knowledge goes, in Egypt Coptic was the original language, then Arabs invaded and the language dissipated. To rid of the Coptic language, Arabs threatened to cut the tongues of anyone who spoke it. So if it wasn’t for that, Egypt would be a Coptic speaking country and we would speak it until today. That is the reason I get very upset if somebody says I’m an Arab. To be Arabic implies Islam. We speak Arabic, but we arnt Arabic. We are Egyptians, from an Arab country. But we are not Arabs. We are Coptics! Sorry for ranting. :D
  • Abanoub88Abanoub88
    Egyptian Copt,
    Coptic is a very ancient language. It was the original language of the Egyptians. The Coptic language, now extinct except for use in church, was the form of the ancient Egyptian language spoken in early Christian times; by the 12th century it was superseded by Arabic.

    When they were raised to take glory in their bodies, the angel came down, stopped the fire and it became cool for Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael. They praise and bless God at al times.
    - Chris
  • Mark423Mark423
    http://www.metalog.org/files/coptic_language.txt

    I also found this link. It might clarify any grey areas.
  • marysmarys
    coptic is actually based on the letters of ancient hyroglyphics.. but instead of symbols, they became greek letters.. the reason so many coptic words sound like arabic is because it's actually the reverse.... the arabic words we know and love are actually derived from coptic words... "trapeza"(table) "oota" (fruit) "foota" towel....
  • SunBabyNJSunBabyNJ
    so the ancient Egyptians/Phaoroahs spoke Coptic????
  • Unknown
    how did the heiroglyphic symbols turn into greek
    does this mean our language is a modified greek?!
  • marysmarys
    no no... the letters we use.. [coptic]a b g...[/coptic] very much resemble the greek letters of Alpha and Beta... the SOUNDS however, come from the heiroglyphics... the origin of coptic actually only came around because the Copts wanted a way to communicate amongst themselves, and slowly (but surely) we made our own language out of it... from adopted greek letters.. so it's not as much as they spoke coptic.. but just the phonetics of it all comes from ancient egyptian..
    quick fact: did you know that our burial hymn of "Golgotha" is set to an ancient egyptian tune.. sang at the burial of a pharoah/king...
  • Unknown
    o0o0o
    interesting
    nice fact!
    thanx marys! ;)
  • Abanoub88Abanoub88
    Whoa Mary, I didn't know that about 'Golgotha'. That is truly amazing. :)

    Golgotha in Hebrew: Kranion in Greek: the place where You, O Lord, were crucified: You stretched out Your hands: and they crucified two thieves with You: One at Your right and the other at Your left: You were in the midst: O Good Savior.
    - Chris
  • SinnerSinner
    Christ is Risen

    I am certainly no expert on the matter, but what I know is this. There are three phases to Egyptian, the first in anceint Egyptian "which the pharoah's spoke," the second is demotic (excuse the spelling) and the final stage is Coptic. Coptic is a mixture of both greek and demotic words, trapezza (table) is an example a Greek word. As far as the Coptic Alphabet is concerned we have taken all of the Greek letters and added I believe it was six letters, taken like Mary said from Heiroglyphics, unique to the Egyptian Language. There were to dialects of Coptic Bohairic and Sahedic the former of which was the more popular in the latter stages of the language. Mary, I don't mean to disagree with you, but I've heard that there is no actual proof that Golgotha was of Pharoanic origin (some say the same for the long Ep Oroo), but that it is mere speculation and unfortunately the Coptic sources appear to be fond of exaggeration, but who knows you could be right. I hope this helped a little, please pray for my weakness.
  • marysmarys
    http://www.stshenouda.com/coptlang/copthist.htm
    http://www.redbay.com/newbies/copt/
    these might help....
  • amir75amir75
    coptic is the last stage of the ancient egyptian language it is the language of the egyptians, coptic was the egyptian language written with the greek alphabet plus 7 signs from hyroglyphs (ancient egyptian hand writing) to express the sounds which didn't exist in the greek alphabet but existed in our language (coptic). this happened about the third century and it was the countries tounge untill the tenth century ad when the goverment language became arabic and the coptic language became extinct during the sixteenth century except for the use in the churche
  • Fadyna33Fadyna33
    hi everybody
    1st:the PHARAONIC (old egyptain language) was compsed of 3 :1Heroghlephic(the holy Writing was 4 priests only), 2 heratiqy, 3 domitic ( the people laguage- the spoken language).

    2nd:in sometime the people in egypt stopped to speak the Demotic (before the arab came a long time) but the greeks had taken that language,so when the people in egypt wanted to make a language for the church the languge was taken back(Modified), it consisted of 25 letters (but in greek handwriting) and they added 7 letters to them to make the COPTIC and the Coptic Became 32.[these information was taught to me in the church]

    3rd: Most of the Hymns of the church is a pharaonic ones but they were modified to the words (not just Gogotha or Epooro).

    God bless u,
    Pray for me.
  • Unknown
    :DTHANK YOU EVRYBODY! :D
  • _sinner__sinner_
    ;)again i would like 2 thank evry1 4 their answers ;)
  • _sinner__sinner_
    ;)& jus in case i confused u, egyptian_copt is my old account. ???
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