Interviewee: Peter Attia

Question 1: How many people still speak Coptic? What parts of the world still speak Coptic?

English answer: Very few people speak Coptic, but none as their first language.They are in a village called Pisolsel in Coptic and Az-Zineya in Arabic. There are also very few clergy who might be able to speak the language and scholars who learn the language but I am not aware if they “speak” it.

Coptic answer: ⲛⲏⲉⲧⲥⲁϫⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ϯⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ϩⲁⲛⲕⲟⲩϫⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲟⲩϩⲟⲩⲓϯ ⲛⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲏⲉⲧⲥⲁϫⲓ ϣⲁⲩϣⲱⲡⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ϯⲙⲓ ⲥⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲩⲙⲟⲩϯ ⲉⲣⲱⲟⲩ ϫⲉ ⲡⲓⲥⲟⲗⲥⲉⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ϯⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲉϥⲃⲱⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ϯⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲁⲣⲁⲃⲏⲥ ϫⲉ ⲉⲍⲍⲉⲛⲏⲓⲁ ϯⲥⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲙⲡⲓⲏⲡⲓ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲁⲓⲣⲉⲙϯⲙⲓ ⲁⲛ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ϩⲁⲛⲕⲟⲩϫⲓ ⲛⲉ ϩⲁⲛⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲛⲛⲓⲕⲗⲏⲣⲟⲥ ϣⲥⲁϫⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ϯⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛⲓⲣⲉϥϭⲓⲥⲃⲱ ⲉⲙⲓ ⲛϯⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ϯⲥⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲁⲛ ϫⲉ ⲁⲩϣⲁⲛⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲛϧⲏⲧⲥ

Translation: Those who speak with the Egyptian (Coptic) language are few but Egyptian is not their first language. Those who speak (i.e. the speakers) dwell in two villages called “Pi-Solsel (the adornment)” in Coptic and its translation in the Arabic language “az-Zineya”. I, however, do not know the number of these villagers but they are few. Some clergy can speak in the Egyptian language and the learned (i.e.scholars) understand the language but I do not know if they speak in it.

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Question 2: Do parents teach their children Coptic or is Coptic used in the education system? If not, why not?

English answer: Technically, neither.

Coptic answer: ⲥⲉϯⲥⲃⲱ ⲉⲣⲟⲥ ⲁⲛ ϩⲓⲧⲉⲛ ⲛⲓⲓⲟϯ ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲛⲁⲛⲍⲏⲃ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ϧⲉⲛ ⲛⲓϯⲙⲓ ⲉⲥϯⲥⲃⲱ ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲁⲱⲟⲩⲓ ⲉϯⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲛⲥⲟⲡ ⲥⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲉⲃⲇⲟⲙⲁⲥ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ

Translation: It is not taught by parents nor in schools but there is a church in the villages which teaches kids the language two times each week.

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Question 3. Are there different varieties/dialects of Coptic?

Coptic answer: ⲛⲉ ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ϩⲁⲛⲑⲟ ⲛⲣⲏϯ ⲛⲧⲉ ϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲟⲩⲭⲱⲣⲁ ϣⲟ ⲛⲣⲟⲙⲡⲓ ϧⲁϫⲉⲛ ϯⲛⲟⲩ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ϯⲛⲟⲩ ⲟⲩⲣⲏϯ ⲟⲩⲱⲧ ⲙⲙⲁⲩⲁⲧϥ ⲡⲉ ⲛⲉ ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲥⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲛⲓϣϯ ⲛⲣⲏϯ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲛⲓⲣⲉϥϭⲓⲥⲃⲱ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲫⲁ ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙϣⲙⲓⲛ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲫⲁ ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲙⲉⲙϥⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲫⲁ ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲫⲁ ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲥⲓⲱⲟⲩⲧ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲫⲁ ⲡⲓⲣⲉⲙⲡⲉⲙϫⲉ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲫⲁ ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ ⲡⲓⲣⲏϯ ⲫⲁ ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲙⲉⲙϥⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲫⲏⲉⲧⲉ ϯⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲉⲣⲭⲣⲁⲥⲑⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϣⲁ ϯⲛⲟⲩ ⲥⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲛⲧⲁⲟⲩⲟ ϫⲉ ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲣⲏϯ ⲥⲛⲁⲩ ⲓⲉ ϣⲟⲙⲧ ⲛⲣⲏϯ ⲉⲱϣ ⲛϯⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲙⲉⲙϥⲓ ϯⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲱϣ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ⲙⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲛϯⲙⲉⲧⲟⲩⲉⲓⲛⲓⲛ ϩⲁⲛⲕⲉⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲙⲙⲱⲟⲩ ⲙⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲛϯⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲛⲁⲣⲭⲉⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓⲡⲁⲓϫⲓⲛⲱϣ ⲙⲙⲁϩⲥⲛⲁⲩ ⲁⲓⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲛϧⲏⲧϥ

Translation: There were many kinds (dialects) of Egyptian according toregion but now there is only a single kind. There were six great (major) kinds (dialects) according to the learned (scholars): which these are that of the people of Akhmim (Akhmimic), that of the people of Memphis (Bohairic/Memphitis), that of the people of Fayyum (Fayumic), that of the people of Asyut (Lycopolitan), that of Oxyrhynchus (Oxyrhynchite), and that of Hermopolis (Sahidic). The kind of the people of Memphis (Bohairic dialect) is that which the Egyptian Church uses until now. It is worthy to mention (noteworthy) that there are two or three ways to sound(pronounce) the Mephitic Egyptian language. The Church pronounces it likeGreek. [The] others are pronounced like the ancient language of the Egyptians. [It is] in this second pronunciation I am speaking.