Old Coptic is the earliest stage of Coptic writing, a form of late Egyptian written in Coptic script, a variant of the Greek alphabet.[1] It "is an analytical category … utilised by scholars to refer to a particular group of sources" and not a language, dialect or singular writing system. Scholars differ on the exact boundaries of the Old Coptic corpus and thus on the definition of "Old Coptic". Generally, it can be said that Old Coptic texts use more letters of Demotic derivation than later literary Coptic.[2] They lack the consistent script style and borrowed Greek vocabulary of later Coptic literature.[3] Some even use exclusively Greek letters.[4] Moreover, they are generally or exclusively of Egyptian pagan origin, as opposed to later literary Coptic texts, which are strongly associated with Coptic Christianity and to a lesser extent Gnosticism and Manichaeism.[1][2][3]
A 2nd-century AD Old Coptic magical text using both Greek and Demotic characters on papyrus
The earliest surviving examples of Egyptian words transliterated in Greek script date to the 6th century BC. Whole Egyptian phrases appear in Greek script from the 3rd century BC.[5] The earliest Coptic text known is from the 1st century AD.[4] The earliest stage of experimentation with the Egyptian language in the Greek alphabet is sometimes called Pre-Old Coptic or Graeco-Egyptian. Other authors distinguish between early and late Old Coptic.[6] The production of pagan magical texts written in Egyptian in Greek letters continued into the 4th or 5th century, after the start of Coptic literature proper.[7]
Fournet, Jean-Luc (2020). The Rise of Coptic: Egyptian versus Greek in Late Antiquity. Princeton University Press.
Griffith, Francis Llewellyn (1900). "The Old Coptic Magical Texts of Paris". Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde. 38 (1): 85–93. doi:10.1524/zaes.1900.38.jg.85.
Griffith, Francis Llewellyn (1901). "The Date of the Old Coptic Texts and their Relation to Christian Coptic". Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde. 39 (1): 78–82. doi:10.1524/zaes.1901.39.jg.78.
Kasser, Rodolphe (1991). "Alphabets, Old Coptic". In Aziz Suryal Atiya (ed.). The Coptic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Macmillan Publishers. cols. 41a–45b.
Love, Edward O. D. (2016). Code-switching with the Gods: The Bilingual (Old Coptic-Greek) Spells of PGM IV (P. Bibliothèque Nationale Supplément Grec. 574) and their Linguistic, Religious, and Socio-Cultural Context in Late Roman Egypt. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783110467833.
Love, Edward O. D. (2021). "The Nature of Old Coptic I". Journal of Coptic Studies. 23: 91–143. doi:10.2143/JCS.23.0.3289390.
Love, Edward O. D. (2022a). "The Nature of Old Coptic II". Journal of Coptic Studies. 24: 243–281. doi:10.2143/JCS.24.0.3290758.
Love, Edward O. D. (2022b). Script Switching in Roman Egypt: Case Studies in Script Conventions, Domains, Shift, and Obsolescence from Hieroglyphic, Hieratic, Demotic, and Old Coptic Manuscripts. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783110768435.
Orlandi, Tito (1986). "Coptic Literature". In Birger A. Pearson; James E. Goehring (eds.). The Roots of Egyptian Christianity. Fortress Press. pp. 51–81.
Quack, Joachim Friedrich (2017). "How the Coptic Script Came About" (PDF). In Eitan Grossman; Peter Dils; Tonio Sebastian Richter; Wolfgang Schenkel (eds.). Greek Influence on Egyptian-Coptic: Contact-Induced Change in an Ancient African Language. Hamburg. pp. 27–96.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Quaegebeur, Jan (1991a). "Pre-Coptic". In Aziz Suryal Atiya (ed.). The Coptic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Macmillan Publishers. cols. 188b–190a.
Quaegebeur, Jan (1991b). "Pre-Old Coptic". In Aziz Suryal Atiya (ed.). The Coptic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Macmillan Publishers. cols. 190a–191b.
Satzinger, Helmut (1975). "The Old Coptic Schmidt Papyrus". Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt. 12: 37–50. JSTOR 3855282.
Satzinger, Helmut (1991). "Old Coptic". In Aziz Suryal Atiya (ed.). The Coptic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Macmillan Publishers. cols. 169b–175b.
Sederholm, Val (2006). Papyrus British Museum 10808 and its Cultural and Religious Setting. Brill. doi:10.1163/9789047407355.
The Coptic Magical Papyri: Vernacular Religion in Late Roman and Early Islamic Egypt
August 22, 2023
coptic, earliest, stage, coptic, writing, form, late, egyptian, written, coptic, script, variant, greek, alphabet, analytical, category, utilised, scholars, refer, particular, group, sources, language, dialect, singular, writing, system, scholars, differ, exac. Old Coptic is the earliest stage of Coptic writing a form of late Egyptian written in Coptic script a variant of the Greek alphabet 1 It is an analytical category utilised by scholars to refer to a particular group of sources and not a language dialect or singular writing system Scholars differ on the exact boundaries of the Old Coptic corpus and thus on the definition of Old Coptic Generally it can be said that Old Coptic texts use more letters of Demotic derivation than later literary Coptic 2 They lack the consistent script style and borrowed Greek vocabulary of later Coptic literature 3 Some even use exclusively Greek letters 4 Moreover they are generally or exclusively of Egyptian pagan origin as opposed to later literary Coptic texts which are strongly associated with Coptic Christianity and to a lesser extent Gnosticism and Manichaeism 1 2 3 A 2nd century AD Old Coptic magical text using both Greek and Demotic characters on papyrusThe earliest surviving examples of Egyptian words transliterated in Greek script date to the 6th century BC Whole Egyptian phrases appear in Greek script from the 3rd century BC 5 The earliest Coptic text known is from the 1st century AD 4 The earliest stage of experimentation with the Egyptian language in the Greek alphabet is sometimes called Pre Old Coptic or Graeco Egyptian Other authors distinguish between early and late Old Coptic 6 The production of pagan magical texts written in Egyptian in Greek letters continued into the 4th or 5th century after the start of Coptic literature proper 7 Notes Edit a b Satzinger 1991 a b Love 2016 p 63 a b Wilfong 2001 a b Orlandi 1986 pp 52 53 Love 2021 p 104 Fournet 2020 pp 5 6 Orlandi 1986 p 59 Bibliography EditFournet Jean Luc 2020 The Rise of Coptic Egyptian versus Greek in Late Antiquity Princeton University Press Griffith Francis Llewellyn 1900 The Old Coptic Magical Texts of Paris Zeitschrift fur agyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 38 1 85 93 doi 10 1524 zaes 1900 38 jg 85 Griffith Francis Llewellyn 1901 The Date of the Old Coptic Texts and their Relation to Christian Coptic Zeitschrift fur agyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 39 1 78 82 doi 10 1524 zaes 1901 39 jg 78 Kasser Rodolphe 1991 Alphabets Old Coptic In Aziz Suryal Atiya ed The Coptic Encyclopedia Vol 8 New York Macmillan Publishers cols 41a 45b Love Edward O D 2016 Code switching with the Gods The Bilingual Old Coptic Greek Spells of PGM IV P Bibliotheque Nationale Supplement Grec 574 and their Linguistic Religious and Socio Cultural Context in Late Roman Egypt De Gruyter doi 10 1515 9783110467833 Love Edward O D 2021 The Nature of Old Coptic I Journal of Coptic Studies 23 91 143 doi 10 2143 JCS 23 0 3289390 Love Edward O D 2022a The Nature of Old Coptic II Journal of Coptic Studies 24 243 281 doi 10 2143 JCS 24 0 3290758 Love Edward O D 2022b Script Switching in Roman Egypt Case Studies in Script Conventions Domains Shift and Obsolescence from Hieroglyphic Hieratic Demotic and Old Coptic Manuscripts De Gruyter doi 10 1515 9783110768435 Orlandi Tito 1986 Coptic Literature In Birger A Pearson James E Goehring eds The Roots of Egyptian Christianity Fortress Press pp 51 81 Quack Joachim Friedrich 2017 How the Coptic Script Came About PDF In Eitan Grossman Peter Dils Tonio Sebastian Richter Wolfgang Schenkel eds Greek Influence on Egyptian Coptic Contact Induced Change in an Ancient African Language Hamburg pp 27 96 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Quaegebeur Jan 1991a Pre Coptic In Aziz Suryal Atiya ed The Coptic Encyclopedia Vol 8 New York Macmillan Publishers cols 188b 190a Quaegebeur Jan 1991b Pre Old Coptic In Aziz Suryal Atiya ed The Coptic Encyclopedia Vol 8 New York Macmillan Publishers cols 190a 191b Satzinger Helmut 1975 The Old Coptic Schmidt Papyrus Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 12 37 50 JSTOR 3855282 Satzinger Helmut 1991 Old Coptic In Aziz Suryal Atiya ed The Coptic Encyclopedia Vol 8 New York Macmillan Publishers cols 169b 175b Sederholm Val 2006 Papyrus British Museum 10808 and its Cultural and Religious Setting Brill doi 10 1163 9789047407355 Wilfong Terry G 2001 Coptic Literature In Donald B Redford ed The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt Oxford University Press External links EditThe Coptic Magical Papyri Vernacular Religion in Late Roman and Early Islamic Egypt Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Old Coptic amp oldid 1167445914, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
