Coptic

[ kop-tik ]

noun

1. an Afroasiatic language of Egypt descended from ancient Egyptian, largely extinct as a spoken language since the 16th century but surviving as the liturgical language of the Coptic Church.

adjective

1. of or relating to Coptic or the Copts.

Coptic

/ ˈkɒptɪk /

noun

1. an Afro-Asiatic language, written in the Greek alphabet but descended from ancient Egyptian. It was extinct as a spoken language by about 1600 ad but survives in the Coptic Church

adjective

1. of or relating to this language
2. of or relating to the Copts

Word History and Origins

Origin of Coptic¹

First recorded in 1670–80; Copt + -ic

Example Sentences

The fragment is written in Coptic, not Greek, and is not actually from the Bible, as the title would indicate.

From The Daily Beast

He tentatively suggested that the text is a pastiche compiled by a modern forger with an elementary grasp of Coptic.

From The Daily Beast

Pharaonic scenes, Muslim symbols, poetry, and Coptic icons—great vivid murals bloomed onto the walls.

From The Daily Beast

I met him at the Coptic Hospital when I went to visit the Maspero injured.

From The Daily Beast

And Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri accused Coptic Pope Tawadros II of wanting to establish a Coptic state in Egypt.

From The Daily Beast

Zoëga busied himself greatly with Egypt, and in inaugurating the study of Coptic prepared the way for Champollion.

From Project Gutenberg

The name is derived from an abandoned Coptic convent which existed among the ruins of the ancient building.

From Project Gutenberg

Christianity was introduced during the Roman period, and the Coptic Church established.

From Project Gutenberg

The practice of the Coptic church is almost identical with this.

From Project Gutenberg

The Coptic nearly resembles the Hottentot language, a good many roots and some words being the same in both.

From Project Gutenberg