Comments on: Coptic lives! http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/ language-related musings - one language is never enough / ét sprog er aldrig nok Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:00:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Bashandy http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-61893 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 21:04:15 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-61893 According to Makrizi the language died late 17th century. Families who claim to speak Coptic, learnt it from books in the 50's & 60's of last century.(personal encounter) I highly doubt the truth of this story as it was mentioned this way. According to Makrizi the language died late 17th century. Families who claim to speak Coptic, learnt it from books in the 50’s & 60’s of last century.(personal encounter)

I highly doubt the truth of this story as it was mentioned this way.

]]> by: Travis http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-57690 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 23:19:51 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-57690 I think that TJ's comment sounds very much like that of many Arabic speakers, who seem to find it incredulous that Coptic or Aramaic still live. Arabic is itself disappearing, in the way that Middle English did. I strongly doubt that there are no Coptic or Aramaic speakers in the sense in which I write this in English. I think that TJ’s comment sounds very much like that of many Arabic speakers, who seem to find it incredulous that Coptic or Aramaic still live. Arabic is itself disappearing, in the way that Middle English did. I strongly doubt that there are no Coptic or Aramaic speakers in the sense in which I write this in English.

]]> by: Alex http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-46245 Wed, 16 May 2007 20:37:42 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-46245 Fall of 2006 I took a semester of Coptic here at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I found the same article mentioned here and approached the Coptic instructor. Neither she nor anyone else took it seriously. However, I think it is possible. Lilian Nawar's post is tantalizing. I bought Crum's Coptic dictionary, it cost more than $150. Fall of 2006 I took a semester of Coptic here at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I found the same article mentioned here and approached the Coptic instructor. Neither she nor anyone else took it seriously. However, I think it is possible. Lilian Nawar’s post is tantalizing.

I bought Crum’s Coptic dictionary, it cost more than $150.

]]> by: Lilian Nawar http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-23578 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 09:47:36 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-23578 During my childhood, I got in contact with a person who when got angry would resort to a language that was not the Egyptian-Arabic dialetic nor was the Noubian language(he was never identified as Nubian) but as Egyptian. When I grew up, I realized that he might knew the Coptic language and unfortunately, this was not recognized. This story confirms what I suspected since I realized that the person of Upper Egypt might be still speaking our Egyptian language. I kept telling this story which no body seems to have encountered until I heard this story. We should do everything to record her sound before we do not get chance again. Please do everything you can to preserve what is left from our great language before it is compltely lost. Yes there is the possibility some people who know the language, let us capture this opportunity before we lose it for ever. During my childhood, I got in contact with a person who when got angry would resort to a language that was not the Egyptian-Arabic dialetic nor was the Noubian language(he was never identified as Nubian) but as Egyptian. When I grew up, I realized that he might knew the Coptic language and unfortunately, this was not recognized. This story confirms what I suspected since I realized that the person of Upper Egypt might be still speaking our Egyptian language. I kept telling this story which no body seems to have encountered until I heard this story. We should do everything to record her sound before we do not get chance again. Please do everything you can to preserve what is left from our great language before it is compltely lost. Yes there is the possibility some people who know the language, let us capture this opportunity before we lose it for ever.

]]> by: parkbench http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-13541 Wed, 08 Nov 2006 19:51:06 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-13541 I learned about Coptic through a History channel documentary on the first man to decode Egyptian hieroglyphs (he used it, being related to Ancient Egyptian, to indirectly discern the alphabet). Very interesting. I learned about Coptic through a History channel documentary on the first man to decode Egyptian hieroglyphs (he used it, being related to Ancient Egyptian, to indirectly discern the alphabet). Very interesting.

]]> by: Benjamin Bruce http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-12293 Thu, 26 Oct 2006 03:40:12 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-12293 Wow! What a story. I hope it is true, and if so, that somebody will step in and try to learn the language from these last links before it's lost. I must say, however, that the following sentence doesn't add any credibility to the Daily Star article: "Coptic is a combination of the ancient Egyptian languages Demotic, Hieroglyphic and Hieratic." The three names mentioned here refer to <b>writing systems</b>, not languages, although to some extent they do represent different stages in <b>the</b> Egyptian language. Coptic is kind of like Modern Greek and Ancient Greek--it's the same language, just the newest version. And, T.J., I do understand your quandry in searching for a Coptic dictionary. I tried to find one a while back when I was researching Ancient Egyptian vowels, and all I was able to get was a Coptic-French dictionary. Since I didn't know French (and still don't!) I had to get out the French-English dictionary! Wow! What a story. I hope it is true, and if so, that somebody will step in and try to learn the language from these last links before it’s lost. I must say, however, that the following sentence doesn’t add any credibility to the Daily Star article:

“Coptic is a combination of the ancient Egyptian languages Demotic, Hieroglyphic and Hieratic.”

The three names mentioned here refer to writing systems, not languages, although to some extent they do represent different stages in the Egyptian language. Coptic is kind of like Modern Greek and Ancient Greek–it’s the same language, just the newest version.

And, T.J., I do understand your quandry in searching for a Coptic dictionary. I tried to find one a while back when I was researching Ancient Egyptian vowels, and all I was able to get was a Coptic-French dictionary. Since I didn’t know French (and still don’t!) I had to get out the French-English dictionary!

]]> by: Polly http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-12246 Wed, 25 Oct 2006 17:35:05 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-12246 I agree with TJ that that lady (if indeed she exists) is throwing away a priceless, family heirloom and possibly a cultural artifact, though an intangible one. Such pragmatism is shortsighted to say the least! I often wonder at (grand)children of immigrants who know little to nothing of their ancestral tongue. I think it's sad. Such a missed opportunity. Let alone allowing a language to die out! Languages go extinct all the time, but to make a CONSCIOUS decision not to preserve yours?! That's truly careless. I hope this story IS made up, as Podolsky suggested. I agree with TJ that that lady (if indeed she exists) is throwing away a priceless, family heirloom and possibly a cultural artifact, though an intangible one. Such pragmatism is shortsighted to say the least!
I often wonder at (grand)children of immigrants who know little to nothing of their ancestral tongue. I think it’s sad. Such a missed opportunity. Let alone allowing a language to die out! Languages go extinct all the time, but to make a CONSCIOUS decision not to preserve yours?! That’s truly careless. I hope this story IS made up, as Podolsky suggested.

]]> by: Podolsky http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-12244 Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:58:18 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-12244 I do not believe the story. Journalists are always looking for a scoop and easily invent stories. True, there may be Copts whose everyday Arabic contains a number of Coptic words, but it doesn't mean these people speak Coptic. There are thousands of Indians who claim their mother tongue is Sanskrit. Actually it is their second language, acquired after they learned to speak Hindi or Bengali or some other language. I do not believe the story. Journalists are always looking for a scoop and easily invent stories. True, there may be Copts whose everyday Arabic contains a number of Coptic words, but it doesn’t mean these people speak Coptic.
There are thousands of Indians who claim their mother tongue is Sanskrit. Actually it is their second language, acquired after they learned to speak Hindi or Bengali or some other language.

]]> by: TJ http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-12242 Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:34:10 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2006/10/25/coptic-lives/#comment-12242 The woman is mistaken for sure! I once was looking for a coptic dictionary and couldn't find any at all!! Coptic along with Aramaic (or Syriac) should be considered .... and even be assigned as a second language! The woman is mistaken for sure!
I once was looking for a coptic dictionary and couldn’t find any at all!!
Coptic along with Aramaic (or Syriac) should be considered …. and even be assigned as a second language!

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