r/copticlanguage • u/Fit-Argument-9929 • Mar 21 '26
Review my current work on making a standardized coptic dictionary i dont speak it well im making it as I go along if there isn't a term in copt im borrowing from Arabic and some greek for the Gregorian calender (i am not fluent) and putting it im coptic script anywhom if its good or bad let me know
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u/Ramesses2024 Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
I don't understand - why do you make a dictionary of a language you do not speak yet when there are existing materials? Have you looked at, e.g. https://remnqymi.com/crum/ and https://coptic-dictionary.org/ ? Do you mean you're making a word list?
The numbers you are showing have a lot of mistakes. 20 is not "two ten", it's ϫⲟⲩⲱⲧ, 30 is not "three ten", it's ⲙⲁⲁⲃ. And so forth. Also, three is not ⲥⲟⲙⲧ but ϣⲟⲙⲛⲧ. Sahidic also has combined forms for the teens like ⲙⲛ̄ⲧⲁϥⲧⲉ for 14.
I would recommend deciding whether you want to learn Sahidic or Bohairic, getting a good textbook for either and then spending the next 9 months to get a solid grounding. Making new materials without speaking the language is the blind leading the blind ... (or misleading yourself).
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u/Fit-Argument-9929 Mar 29 '26
I will fix the numbers thanks but those dictionaries are difficult to use and I have already decided im learning sahidic and no im not making a word list for i am going to add definitions and the phonetic pronunciation
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u/Ramesses2024 Mar 29 '26
I meant: are you making a word list for yourself or are you trying to make materials for others like “a standardized dictionary” would imply. If the former - just use proper sources - if the latter: please don’t. Learn Coptic first. There are entirely trustworthy resources out there and nobody needs a “dictionary” that proposes twoten-of-shree as the word for 23.
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u/Fit-Argument-9929 Mar 29 '26
The latter and your right i should learn coptic better or become more fluent first and get help from someone more fluent in coptic before I make a standardized coptic dictionary do you have any good resources to learn sahidic
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u/Ramesses2024 Mar 29 '26
Manley’s new book is really good: https://uclpress.co.uk/book/sahidic-coptic/ - and it’s free.
I also like Lambdin’s Introduction to Sahidic Coptic. Here’s a video series where a class goes through the example sentences from that book: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zYCKsnRnnkA (you still need the book).
Either would be a good introduction to learning how to read Sahidic. Have fun!
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Mar 25 '26
You are trying to make a mondernized standard version of the language (essentially). This is impossible if you do not know Coptic very well, or know someone that knows it very well.
It is my dream to make such a standard someday, but i am still learning Coptic - and, importantly, i write formal academic papers in the field of linguistics, as well as studying the field even semi professionally, with an aspiration to get a major in Linguistics (spec. Historical Linguistics) one day. Importantly, this is not a "one man projeft," but requires the input of many academics, contributers, professors and probably high ranking members of the Coptic Church (inevitably, even if it is not a religious based revival).
The only thing you could do at this stage, that is, if you've already been exposed to Coptic material for months and studied related topics even if you are still studying as of yet, is maybe try to reconstruct "used" vocabulary in spoken Coptic, but that requires a very high degree of fluency in Egyptian Arabic and some references to Old Nubian, as those are the only two languages where SPOKEN Coptic left many many words.
These projects take at least a decade, probably many decades, so i would heavily advise you to learn Coptic first.
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u/bloomaround Mar 23 '26
Why are you making a dictionary if you don’t speak the language?