Sahidic Coptic was the literary language of Late Antique Egypt during the years 350–800 and the final phase of Ancient Egyptian as a living language, bringing an end to four millennia of written history. Sahidic Coptic texts are among our most detailed written sources regarding: the end of ancient Egypt; Byzantine imperial rule; the early Bible; the development of Christian orthodoxy; Christianity in Africa; religious assimilation and persecution; the origin of mediaeval monasticism; and the rise of Islam.
This concise textbook teaches beginner students the grammar of documents written in Sahidic Coptic, and provides the historical and cultural context required for reading primary sources through informal as well as more formal and religious texts.
There are 20 language lessons followed by 7 chapters of sample reading and a detailed vocabulary list.
DOI: 10.14324/111.9781800086463
Number of illustrations: 34
Publication date: 12 January 2026
PDF ISBN: 9781800086463
EPUB ISBN: 9781800086494
Hardback ISBN: 9781800086487
Paperback ISBN: 9781800086470
List of figures
Acknowledgements
Basic grammarIntroduction
Lesson 1: The alphabet
Lesson 2: Simple descriptions
Lesson 3: Coptic and Greek
Lesson 4: Three Coptic fundamentals
Lesson 5: Word-building basics
Lesson 6: Basics about verbs
Lesson 7: Engaged statements
Lesson 8: Independent pronouns and identities
Lesson 9: Past narrative
Lesson 10: Speaking and thinking
Lesson 11: How objects affect verbs
Lesson 12: Numbers and dates
Lesson 13: Indicatives and demonstratives
Lesson 14: Negative statements and second tenses
Lesson 15: Complex descriptions
Lesson 16: Looking to the future
Lesson 17: Complex sentences
Lesson 18: Establishing certain conditions
Lesson 19: Statives and passives
Lesson 20: Writing with a purposeSahidic Coptic sample reading
Some Coptic words that can confuse
Sahidic Coptic-English word list
Further reading
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