Coptic Language
Coptic is the final stage of the ancient Egyptian language and represents a significant chapter in the history of Egypt's linguistic evolution. It emerged after the Macedonian conquest of Egypt and gained prominence with the rise of Christianity, particularly between 400 CE and 1400 CE. Coptic is notable for its unique script, which combines the Greek alphabet with additional characters derived from the Demotic script, enabling the vocalization of the Egyptian language for the first time. While Coptic served as the official language of Egypt until the thirteenth century, it gradually declined in use as Arabic became dominant following the Muslim conquest.
Today, Coptic is classified as a mostly extinct language, surviving primarily within the liturgical context of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Six dialects of Coptic exist, with Bohairic being the most prominent in contemporary religious practices. Although efforts have been made to revive the language since the mid-nineteenth century, Arabic remains the official and everyday language in Egypt. Despite its diminished status, Coptic continues to hold cultural and historical significance for the Coptic community, preserving their religious texts and heritage.
Coptic Language
The Egyptian civilization is the oldest on the African continent, and its language is one of the oldest written languages in the world. The Egyptian language is grouped into five periods: Old Egyptian, Middle/Classical Egyptian, Late Egyptian, Demotic, and Coptic. Coptic is the last period of Egyptian language. It replaced Demotic after the Macedonian conquest of Egypt and the spread of Christianity.
Coptic was used extensively from about 400 CE to 1400 CE, but Arabic ultimately replaced it as the everyday, official language of Egypt. Coptic was devised by applying the Greek alphabet with seven additional letters from the Demotic script to accommodate sounds that do not exist in Greek to the spoken Egyptian language. The Coptic language allowed Egyptian scholars to finally vocalize the language, which had never used written vowels before this period.
Only a few Coptic liturgical manuscripts survived into the twenty-first century. Most did not survive because they had been written on parchment and endured poor preservation methods. The Golden Age of Coptic is the period after the early fourth century and the Great Persecution of Diocletian. It was the time of writers such as Saint Anthony (or Saint Antony), Saint Pachomius, Saint Macarius, Saint Athanasius, Saint Theophilus, and Saint Cyril. These scholars, among others, wrote in both Greek and Coptic, shared their religious devotion through text.
After the Muslim invasion of Egypt, the Coptic language began its decline. By the seventeenth century, its use was limited to Christian liturgy, similar to the role played by Latin in the Roman Catholic Church. In the twenty-first century, Coptic still survives within the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt.
History and Classification
Coptic belongs to the Afroasiatic language family and is a descendant, or "child language," of ancient Egyptian. The word Coptic comes from the Greek word for Egyptian, Aigyptioi, which in Arabic was Qibt. Coptic was the official language of Egypt until around the thirteenth century CE when Arabic, the language of the Muslim conquerors, replaced it. Coptic can also be classified as a passive classical language, which is one that is read but not used for communication and is without new literature.
Six dialects, four of which were spoken in Upper Egypt and two in Lower Egypt, are found in Coptic. The upper dialects are Sahidic, Fayyūmic, Asyūṭic, and Akhmīmic, while the Lower dialects include Bashmūric and Bohairic. The various dialects differ in pronunciation and sound. Sahidic, the dialect of Thebes, was the most prominent literary language. This was the language of Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite, and after the fifth century CE, Sahidic was the only dialect that remained used in writing. Egyptians had been using Sahidic as a uniform written language, but Christian missionaries revived other regional dialects as they translated the scriptures into Egyptian. Eventually, these dialects faded, and Sahidic again was used. Missionaries to Egypt were able to read Greek but not Demotic, while Egyptian peasants only understood Demotic. By translating the scriptures into Egyptian using Greek characters, the missionaries were able to communicate their message to the Egyptians through a new language medium.
The shift from Sahidic to Bohairic occurred gradually, beginning in the ninth century. When the patriarchate relocated to Cairo from Alexandria in the eleventh century, the Bohairic dialect became the official dialect of the Coptic Orthodox Church, cementing its place as the new primary spoken language. In the twenty-first century, Bohairic remains the only used form of Coptic.
There were thirty-one Egyptian ruling dynasties prior to Alexander the Great's invasion in 332 BCE and the founding of the Ptolemaic line. The Roman conquest of 30 BCE ended the Ptolemaic period and ushered in the arrival of Christianity. In 190 CE, the scholar Pantaenus established Didascalia, the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Classes were taught in both Greek and Coptic in subjects ranging from theology to science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, and medicine. Today, the school remains the oldest school of Christian religion in the world and is under the direction of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Around the fifth century, Egyptian Christians diverged from the Roman Catholic Church. They questioned Christ's divinity and human nature, and a schism resulted in the establishment of the Coptic Orthodox Church. When the Arabs conquered Egypt in 641, the Byzantines departed. Arabic slowly replaced the Coptic language. Churches closed, and Coptic was prohibited by some Islamic rulers. The Copts faced additional persecution from other Christians, particularly during the European Crusades. The Arab Muslims and the European Christians both viewed Copts as enemies and heretics. By the fourteenth century, original Coptic writings only appeared in hymns and prayers, and the language was further limited outside of the church in daily use.
By the fifteenth century, Coptic had faded from everyday use and was no longer a primary spoken language in Egypt. It continued to linger in liturgy, despite the dominance of the Arabic language but nearly became extinct. The Copts began a revival during the mid-nineteenth century. Mission groups printed Coptic service books, grammar books, and a dictionary and promoted the use of Coptic in religious services.
Geographic Distribution and Modern Usage
The Coptic language is considered a mostly extinct language as of the twenty-first century. It is not known exactly how many people speak Coptic, but the language is used in religious texts by the Coptic Orthodox Church. New generations are taught the written language as part of their religious and cultural tradition. However, Arabic remains the official language of Egypt today and the one that is used for communication, literature, and administrative purposes.
Bibliography
"Ancient Egyptian Scripts." Omniglot. Omniglot. Web. 28 Aug. 2015. http://www.omniglot.com/writing/egyptian.htm
"Coptic." Omniglot. Omniglot. Web. 28 Aug. 2015. http://www.omniglot.com/writing/coptic.htm
Dalby, Andrew.Dictionary of Languages: The Definitive Reference to More than 400 Languages. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004. Print.
"The History of the Coptic Language." St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society. Coptic.org. http://www.coptic.org/language/stshenouda1.htm
Iskander, Lara, and Jimmy Dunn. "A History of Coptic Christians in Egypt." Tour Egypt. Tour Egypt. Web. 28 Aug. 2015. http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/copticchristians.htm
Peoples, Nations and Cultures: An A-Z of the Peoples of the World, Past and Present. Ed. John Mackenzie. London: Cassell, 2005. Print.
"The Pronunciation of Ancient Egyptian." The Proceedings of the Friesian School, Fourth Series. Friesian.com. Web. 28 Aug. 2015. http://www.friesian.com/egypt.htm
The World's Major Languages. Ed. Bernard Comrie. London: Routledge, 2011. Print.