X-Nico

10 unusual facts about Coptic language


About the Mystery of the Letters

The text is known from three Greek manuscript copies written between the 14th and 16th centuries, and one CopticArabic bilingual translation from the late 14th century.

Bayoumi Andil

The grammatical, morphological and phonological differences between the spoken Egyptian language and the Arabic language is sufficiently disparate to categorize them into two distinct groups, and the similarities between the first and its Egyptian ancestors, both Coptic and ancient Egyptian, are strong enough to consider the modern Masri Egyptian language an evolution of Ancient Egyptian.

Andil also published many articles and books, in which he proposed that Modern Masri Egyptian language is nothing but the fourth stage of the languages of the Egyptians, and should not truly be considered a variety of Arabic, but rather a linguistic evolution of the Coptic language and the Ancient Egyptian language.

Cladius Labib

He used to accompany his father to the Al-Mouharak Monastery to learn Coptic with the monks.

Giambattista Bodoni

There, it was said, he impressed his superiors so much with his eagerness to learn, studiousness in mastery of ancient languages and types, and energy of effort, that he was allowed to place his own name on his first books, a Coptic Missal and a version of the Tibetan alphabet.

Henry Tattam

Henry Tattam (28 December 1788 – 8 January 1868, Stanford Rivers, Essex) was a Church of England clergyman and Coptic scholar.

History of Joseph the Carpenter

Two versions survive, one in Coptic, the other in Arabic, with the Coptic version likely being the original.

Marcellus Empiricus

Such “magic words” often include nonsense syllables and more-or-less corrupt phrases from “exotic” languages such as Celtic, Aramaic, Coptic, and Hebrew, and are not indications of formal adherence to a religion.

Penelope Wilson

Wilson obtained her first class degree in Oriental studies (Egyptian and Coptic) from Liverpool University.

Robert A. Kraft

Kraft has also produced significant work in manuscript studies (including Coptic texts), on so-called "Jewish Christianity" in antiquity, on the pseudepigrapha and on the Christian transmission of ancient Jewish writings.


Anson Rainey

From 1960-61, he studied at the Hebrew University, first in an intensive Hebrew course and then in Archaeology and in the Egyptian, Coptic and Phoenician languages (all in Hebrew).

Biblical manuscript

Parts of the New Testament have been preserved in more manuscripts than any other ancient work, having over 5,800 complete or fragmented Greek manuscripts, 10,000 Latin manuscripts and 9,300 manuscripts in various other ancient languages including Syriac, Slavic, Gothic, Ethiopic, Coptic and Armenian.

Catechetical School of Alexandria

The new school currently has campuses in Alexandria, Cairo, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, where Coptic priests-to-be and other qualified men and women are taught on subjects including Christian theology, history, Coptic language and art – including chanting, music, iconography, and tapestry.

Coptic versions of the Bible

Several different versions were made in the ancient world, with different editions of the Old and New Testament in all four of the major dialects of Coptic: Bohairic (northern), Fayyumic, Sahidic (southern), Akhmimic, and Mesokemic.

Isaac of Dafra

According to Coptic manuscripts, an angel encouraged him to travel to the town of Towa, near Beba in the Bani Suwayf Governorate, to profess that he is of Christian faith in front of the governor and to receive martyrdom.

Stephen Emmel

He began graduate study with James M. Robinson, who took Emmel with him to Cairo, Egypt, in 1974 as a research assistant in the international project to publish the Coptic Gnostic texts of the Nag Hammadi Codices.