Interviewee: Marena Zaky

 

Question 1: Did you learn Coptic through written texts such as books, dictionaries, religious texts, etc?

Answer: The Coptic language is learned in the Coptic Orthodox Church by praying or reading book. There is also Coptic study, that is when young kids come to church on a scheduled time to be taught Coptic.

 

Question 2: Is the language still changing and expanding its vocabulary?

Answer: The language is not changing or expanding its vocabulary because it is a language that is considered to be a ‘dead’ language.

 

Question 3: How and when did you start learning Coptic?

Answer: So many people learn Coptic from a young age, going to Church, attending Sunday school, listening to family members etc. I learned Coptic when I was a young kid from family and from going to church.

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Interviewee: Father Mina

Question 1.⁠ ⁠Who speaks Coptic?

Coptic: ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲉⲧⲁⲓϫⲟⲥ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲁϩⲟⲩⲓⲧ ⲛⲟⲩⲱϩⲉⲙ ϣⲁⲧⲉⲛⲕⲉⲕⲟⲩϫⲓ ⲙⲙⲟⲛ ϩⲗⲓ ⲥⲁϫⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲧⲁⲓⲁⲥⲡⲓ

Translation: Almost no one speaks this language.

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Question 2: ⁠Is Coptic still alive or is it endangered?

 Coptic: ϩⲁⲛⲙⲏϣ ⲱⲡ ⲛϯⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲉⲩⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲉⲩϭⲉⲛⲏⲟⲩⲧ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ϯⲱⲡ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ⲉⲩⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲉⲩⲙⲱⲟⲩⲧⲙⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲛϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲱⲙⲉⲟⲥ ϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲥⲟⲛϧ ⲁⲛ ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲥⲉⲧⲟⲛϣⲥ ⲁⲛ

Translation: Many count (consider) the Egyptian (Coptic) language an extinguished (extinct) language but I count it a dead language like the Roman[language] (Latin).Egyptian (Coptic) is not alive nor is it threatened (endangered)

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Question 3: ⁠How does Coptic differ from Arabic?

Coptic: ϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ϯⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲁⲣⲁⲃⲏⲥ ⲛⲉ ϩⲁⲛⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲛⲥⲉⲙⲏⲧⲓⲕⲟⲛ ⲑⲁⲓ ϯⲱⲡ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ⲉⲡⲓⲓⲛⲓ ⲙⲙⲁⲩⲁⲧϥ ⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲓⲁⲥⲡⲓ ⲥⲛⲁⲩ ⲟⲩⲉⲧ ⲛⲟⲩϫⲓⲛⲥϧⲁⲓ ⲟⲩⲉⲧ ⲛⲟⲩⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲟⲩⲉⲧ ⲛⲟⲩⲁⲣⲭⲏ ⲟⲩⲉⲧ  ⲛⲟⲩⲥⲙⲏ ⲟⲩⲉⲧ ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁⲓⲏ ⲛⲁⲓ ϩⲱⲟⲩ ⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ϯⲙⲉⲧⲟⲩⲉⲓⲛⲓⲛ ⲉⲡⲓⲇⲏ ⲟⲩϣⲟϥⲧ ⲕⲟⲓⲛⲟⲛ ϧⲉⲛ ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓⲉⲙⲉⲩⲓ ϫⲉ ϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲧⲉ ϯⲙⲉⲧⲟⲩⲉⲓⲛⲓⲛ

Translation:  Egyptian (Coptic) and the Arabic language are Semitic languages. This I consider the only similarity between these two languages. Their acts of writing (grammar) are different, their words (diction) are different, their origins are different, their sounds (phonetics) are different, their ages are different. These also [are] between Egyptian (Coptic) and Greek since it is a common error among Egyptians to think that Coptic is Greek.