Coptic Verbs

ⲁ — /a/
ⲃ — /β/
ⲅ — /g/*
ⲇ — /d/*
ⲉ — /ɛ/ (stressed), /ə/ (unstressed)
ⲍ — /z/*
ⲏ — /h/
ⲑ — /th/**
ⲓ — /i/ (vocalic), /j/ (consonantal)
ⲕ — /k/
ⲗ — /l/
ⲙ — /m/
ⲛ — /n/
ⲝ — /ks/*
ⲟ — /ɔ/
ⲡ — /p/
ⲣ — /r/
ⲥ — /s/
ⲧ — /t/
ⲩ — /u/ (vocalic), /w/ (consonantal)
ⲫ — /ph/**
ⲭ — /kh/**
ⲯ — /ps/*
ⲱ — /o/

§1. Introduction.

§1.1. In earlier stages of Egyptian, verbs were inflected for person through suffixes attached directly onto the verbal stem. In Coptic, however, the vast majority of verbs are marked for person with proclitic auxiliaries. There are two patterns of auxiliary conjugation: the bipartite and tripartite constructions. The bipartite construction is only found in the first present and future (§1.2,), and consists of two parts: (1) a pronominal prefix or nominal subject, and (2) an infinitive verb or adverb. The tripartite construction is much more common, and consists of three parts: (1) an auxiliary, (2) a pronominal suffix or nominal subject, and (3) an infinitive verb.

§1.2. Coptic tenses may be divided into two categories: durative and non-durative. Durative tenses are essentially imperfective; they have no reference to specific moments in time and denote ongoing or incomplete actions. Non-durative tenses, however, refer to specific moments in the past, future, or actions repeated as a rule. There are a few other distinguishing features between durative and non-durative tenses. Durative tenses cannot take suffixed objects—pronominal or otherwise—i.e., they cannot use the construct or pronominal state of the infinitive; instead, objects are expressed with prepositions. Additionally, qualitative verbs are inherently durative, and cannot be used with non-durative conjugations.

§1.3. Coptic auxiliaries also have two forms: the so-called first and second tenses (although they are not really tenses as such). The first tense is used for general statements with no special stress placed on an argument in the phrase. The second tense is used to emphasize an adverb or adverbial phrase, an indirect object introduced with the preposition ⲛ̄-, or a clause following the particles ϫⲉ or ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ.

§2. The Present.

ⲁ (ⲁⲗⲫⲁ) /a/

§2.1.1. The first present is a durative tense which refers to ongoing actions in the narrative present. It is generally equivalent to the English present progressive, or the simple present for certain verbs which usually do not take the present progressive (think, hear, know, see, etc.). The conjugation of the first present is as follows: 1s ϯⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 2m ⲕⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 2f ⲧⲉⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 3m ϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 3f ⲥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 1p ⲧⲛ̄ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 2p ⲧⲉⲧⲛ̄ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 3p ⲥⲉⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄.

In the first present, definite nominal subjects occur with no auxiliary at all: ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄ “the man hears.” Indefinite nominal subjects are introduced with the existential predicator ⲟⲩⲛ̄-: ⲟⲩⲛ̄ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄ “a man hears.”

§2.1.2. The first present is negated with ⲛ̄- placed before the verb and ⲁⲛ placed after: ⲛ̄ϯⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄ ⲁⲛ “I do not hear,” etc. In the second person singular masculine, the stroke moves to the right and the ⲕ becomes ⲅ, thus ⲛⲅ̄ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄ ⲁⲛ “you (m.) do not hear.” The stroke similarly changes placement in the third person singular: ⲛϥ̄ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄ ⲁⲛ “he does not hear,” ⲛⲥ̄ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄ ⲁⲛ “she does not hear.” It is fairly common for the negative prefix ⲛ̄- to be omitted even before the pronominal prefixes: ϯⲟ ⲁⲛ (for ⲛ̄ϯⲟ ⲁⲛ) ⲛ̄ⲑⲉ ⲙ̄ⲡⲕⲉⲥⲉⲉⲙⲉ ⲛ̄ⲛ̄ⲣⲱⲙⲉ “I am not as other men are” (Luke 18:11).

The negative prefix ⲛ̄- is optional before a definite nominal subject: (ⲙ̄)ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄ ⲁⲛ “the man does not hear.” Indefinite nominal subjects are negated with the negative existential predicator ⲙⲛ̄- (without ⲁⲛ): ⲙⲛ̄ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄ “a man does not hear.” If the indefinite subject is general rather than specific, the indefinite article is omitted: ⲙⲛ̄ⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄ “no man hears.”

§2.1.3. The pronominal prefixes of the first perfect are also used with adverbial predicates: ϯϩⲙ̄ⲡⲏⲓ̈ “I am in the house,” ⲛⲅ̄ϩⲓⲧⲉϩⲓⲏ ⲁⲛ “you are not on the road,” etc.

Second tense: 1s ⲉⲓ̈ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 2m ⲉⲕⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 2f ⲉⲣⲉⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 3m ⲉϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 3f ⲉⲥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 1p ⲉⲧⲛ̄ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 2p ⲉⲧⲉⲧⲛ̄ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 3p ⲉⲩⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, nominal ⲉⲣⲉⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄.

1s ⲛⲉⲓ̈ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 2m ⲛⲉⲕⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 2f ⲛⲉⲣⲉⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 3m ⲛⲉϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 3f ⲛⲉⲥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 1p ⲛⲉⲧⲛ̄ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 2p ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲧⲛ̄ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, 3p ⲛⲉⲩⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄, nominal ⲛⲉⲣⲉⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̄.

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