Is it best to learn Sahidic?

[SanctaRosa]

Blessings and all good.  I am new to this forum as well as being very new to learning to read the Coptic language.  It is my intention to learn Coptic in order to further my religious studies and my question is whether Sahidic would be the most useful dialect for me to learn?
At first I didn't realise that there were two different Coptic dialects and as I very much want to learn to read transcripts of early New Testament manuscripts I want to be certain that I begin my lessons with the correct dialect for doing this.

[Admin]

Hi Rosa,
First of all welcome to the forum.

Coptic has seven major dialects only two of them are very widespread.

Sahidic is the richest of all dialects in terms of number of manuscripts and amount of vocabulary

Bohairic was the dialect adopted by the Church by the 11th century.
Almost all manuscripts written in Boahiric are from the 9th century and onward

In my opinion Bohairic is a bit easier to learn.

If you are going to study the Bible, its available in both dialects.
If you are going to study Coptic church payers Bohairic is better.
If you are going to study old teachings of Coptic fathers/saints Sahidic is better.
If you are going to study none christian text, Sahidic is better.

Hope that helps

[SanctaRosa]

Thank you for your advice    As I mentioned my intention is to study the New Testament, but I would also like to read the Coptic fathers and saints as well, so Sahidic it will be.

[Admin]

Wish you good luck.
Please feel free to share all the cool things you learn or questions you have in the forum

[CЄTMOCЄ]

I am also learning [Sahidic] Coptic and it would be nice if there's a online partner here with whom I can practice it!

[Anok]

I am very new and still learning my way around here, but I am also learning Sahidic, because the Lambdin book seemed the best. I just thought I'd let you know, Cetmoce.