(ⲉϥ)

[ⲡⲓⲙⲟⲩⲓ]

Hello,

This is my first post here. I just started learning a few basics about the Egyptian language - Coptic stage.
As a newbie, I've a simple question. Sometimes I see "ⲉϥ" between brackets after some words in the dictionary. If I remember correctly, those were adjectives (correct me if I'm wrong). So my question is when I see "(ⲉϥ)" after a word, does that mean that the prefix "ⲉϥ" is optional?

Thanks in advance!

[Admin]

Hello ⲡⲓⲙⲟⲩⲓ,
Welcome to Coptic forum!

If you could provide few example for the words you see with "ⲉϥ" between brackets, it would help us give you a more accurate answer

[ⲡⲓⲙⲟⲩⲓ]

Thanks Admin,

I am sorry, I should have listed a few examples with my question. Here you are:

• ⲑⲏⲕ (p. 58b Mo'awad Dawoud)
• ⲟⲣϣ (p. 233b Mo'awad Dawoud)
• ⲟⲣϥ (p. 234a Mo'awad Dawoud)
• ϧⲉⲛⲧ (p. 634b Mo'awad Dawoud)

Thank you so much!

[Admin]

So yes, for ⲟⲣϥ (To be enclosed) addingⲉϥ will make it ⲉϥⲟⲣϥ (enclosed).
and ϧⲉⲛⲧ (To come near) becomes ⲉϥϧⲉⲛⲧ (nearby/close)


I don't know the meaning of ⲑⲏⲕ or ⲟⲣϣ, they don't exist in crum (most reliable Coptic dictionary).

If I can suggest something, I'd say rely on Crum (or it's simplified version here instead of Mo'awad Dawoud

[ⲡⲓⲙⲟⲩⲓ]

Thanks for the quick reply!

So are you implying that the prefix "ⲉϥ" is added to some verbs to create adjectives?

I had the impression that when the prefix "ⲉϥ" is written after a word (i.e., an adjective) between brackets, it means that it's optional. For example:

• See ⲑⲏⲕ:
   https://www.facebook.com/coptic4all/photos/a.404222323004644.99744.404221009671442/1364091040351096/?type=3&theater
• See ⲟⲣϥ: https://www.facebook.com/coptic4all/photos/a.404222323004644.99744.404221009671442/1329912690435598/?type=3&theater
• See ⲧⲁⲓⲏⲟⲩⲧ: https://www.facebook.com/coptic4all/photos/a.404222323004644.99744.404221009671442/1380424052051128/?type=3&theater
• See ⲧⲟⲩⲃⲏⲟⲩⲧ: https://www.facebook.com/coptic4all/photos/a.404222323004644.99744.404221009671442/1325316077561926/?type=3&theater

For me Crum is harder to browse than Mo'awad Dawoud, and the simplified version does not include enough vocabulary. A problem with Mo'awad Dawoud's dictionary (at least the online version) that it did not include a page with the list of abbreviations like most dictionaries do.

Much appreciated!

[Admin]

So are you implying that the prefix "ⲉϥ" is added to some verbs to create adjectives?

Yes but few notes:

• It's not always ⲉϥ, it depend on the pronoun. for example
  ⲉϥϧⲉⲛⲧ (he is nearby), ⲉⲩϧⲉⲛⲧ they are nearby, ⲉⲥϧⲉⲛⲧ she is nearby, .....
• the meaning depend on the context, as it can also mean "while/as", for example
  ⲉⲥϧⲉⲛⲧ ⲉⲡⲉⲥⲏⲓ ⲁ ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲙⲟⲩϯ ⲉⲣⲟⲥ (as she get close to her house, a man called her)

[ⲡⲓⲙⲟⲩⲓ]

Thank you so much for the clarification!

To summarize, some (but not all) adjectives are created by adding a pronoun (Present III) to the verb. Therefore the dictionary abbreviation "(ⲉϥ)" means that the word needs to be conjugated in order to form a proper adjective. Please correct me if I am wrong.

I also found this in p. 81 of "Let us read and speak the coptic language" 3Ed. for Kamal Isaac.


Regards

[Admin]

Therefore the dictionary abbreviation "(ⲉϥ)" means .....

I have never used Moawad's dictionary before so I can't confirm that with 100% certainty.
we came to this conclusion based on the two words you mentioned in your example above.

[ⲡⲓⲙⲟⲩⲓ]

Okay, makes sense.
Thanks!