Lesson 2

2.1 The indefinite article.⬆

The indefinite article for nouns of either gender is ⲟⲩ in the singular, ϩⲉⲛ in the plural, prefixed directly to the noun:

ⲟⲩϫⲟⲓ a ship
ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲉ a man
ⲟⲩϩⲓⲏ a road
ϩⲉⲛⲉϫⲏⲩ ships, some ships
ϩⲉⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ men, some men
ϩⲉⲛϩⲓⲟⲟⲩⲉ roads, some roads

The plural indefinite article may be translated as "some, certain" or be omitted entirely in translation, as the context requires. The plural indefinite article is frequently written as ϩⲛ̅ and is easily confused with the preposition ϩⲛ̅. In the exercises to the lessons we shall always distinguish between the two, but in part of the Reading Selections the orthography of the source is maintained.

Because the use of the Coptic articles, both definite and indefinite, corresponds closely to the use of the articles in English, only exceptions to this general correspondence will be noted in the following lessons when appropriate. References to the omission of the article require special attention. For the present lesson note that indefinite nouns designating unspecific quantities of a substance require an indefinite article in Coptic where there is none in English:

ⲟⲩⲙⲟⲟⲩ water
ϩⲉⲛⲟⲉⲓⲕ bread
ϩⲉⲛⲁϥ meat

The choice between the singular and plural article here is lexical, i.e. it depends on the particular noun. All such nouns, if definite and specific, may of course appear with the definite article: ⲡⲙⲟⲟⲩ, ⲡⲟⲉⲓⲕ, ⲡⲁϥ. Abstract nouns, such as ⲙⲉ truth, often appear with either article (ⲟⲩⲙⲉ, ⲧⲙⲉ) where English employs no article.

2.2 ⲟⲩⲛ̅- with indefinite subjects⬆

Indefinite nouns cannot be used as subjects of sentences with adverbial predicates unless introduced by the word ⲟⲩⲛ̅- or its negative:

ⲟⲩⲛ̅-ⲟⲩϩⲗ̅ⲗⲟ ϩⲓ ⲧⲉϩⲓⲏ.
A monk is on the road.

ⲟⲩⲛ̅- is actually a predicator of existence ("there is, there are"), and the sentence given may also be translated as "There is a monk on the road.".

The negative of ⲟⲩⲛ̅- is ⲙⲛ̅- (also spelled ⲙ̅ⲙⲛ̅-). In general, an indefinite article is deleted (omitted) in negation in Coptic:

ⲙⲛ̅-ϩⲗ̅ⲗⲟ ϩⲓ ⲧⲉϩⲓⲏ.
There is no monk on the road.
ⲙⲛ̅-ⲣⲱⲙⲉ ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲏⲓ.
There is no man in the house.

ⲟⲩⲛ̅- and ⲙⲛ̅- are not used before definite nouns.

The sentence ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲏⲓ is negated by adding ⲁⲛ:

ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲏⲓ ⲁⲛ.
The man is not in the house.

2.3 Nominal Possession⬆

The genitive (or possessive) relationship between two nouns is expressed by the preposition ⲛ̅ (of):

ⲡⲏⲓ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ
the house of the man
the man's house
ⲧϣⲉⲉⲣⲉ ⲛ̅ ⲧⲉⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ
the woman's daughter

If the first noun is indefinite, however, the preposition ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ is used instead of ⲛ̅:

ⲟⲩϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ ⲡϩⲗ̅ⲗⲟ
a book of the monk
ⲟⲩϩⲙ̅ϩⲁⲗ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ ⲡⲣ̅ⲣⲟ
a servant of the king

Vocabulary 2⬆

Exercises⬆

    1. ϩⲓϫⲙ̅ ⲡϫⲟⲓ on the boat
    2. ϩⲁ ⲧⲡⲉ under the sky
    3. ϩⲛ̅ ⲙ̅ⲡⲏⲩⲉ in the heavens
    4. ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲣ̅ⲣⲟ about the king
    5. ⲙⲛ̅ ⲑⲙ̅ϩⲁⲗ with the (female) slave
    6. ϩⲛ̅ ⲧⲉⲙⲣⲱ in the harbor
    7. ϩⲓ ⲡⲉⲓⲉⲣⲟ on the river
    8. ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲃ about the gold
    9. ϩⲛ̅ ⲛⲉⲙⲣⲟⲟⲩⲉ in the harbors
    10. ϩⲁ ⲡϫⲟⲓ under the boat
    11. ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ϩⲉⲛⲣ̅ⲣⲱⲟⲩ about some kings
    12. ϩⲉⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲙⲛ̅ ϩⲉⲛϩⲓⲟⲙⲉ some men and some women
    13. ϩⲉⲛⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲙⲛ̅ ϩⲉⲛϩⲓⲟⲟⲩⲉ some mountains and some roads
    14. ϩⲁ ⲟⲩⲱⲛⲉ under a stone
    15. ϩⲓϫⲛ̅ ⲟⲩⲧⲟⲟⲩ on a mountain
    16. ϩⲛ̅ ⲟⲩⲧⲃ̅ⲧ in a fish
    17. ϩⲓ ϩⲉⲛⲏⲓ on some houses
    18. ⲙⲛ̅ ⲟⲩϩⲗ̅ⲗⲱ with an old woman
    19. ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ about a book
    20. ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ about the light
    1. ⲛ̅ⲧⲃ̅ⲧ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲓⲉⲣⲟ the fish (pl.) of the river
    2. ⲛⲉϫⲏⲩ ⲛ̅ ⲛ̅ⲣⲱⲙⲉ the men's boats
    3. ⲛ̅ⲏⲓ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲣ̅ⲣⲟ the king's houses
    4. ⲡⲣⲁⲛ ⲙ̅ ⲡϩⲗ̅ⲗⲟ the old man's name
    5. ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲛ̅ ⲧⲡⲉ the light of the sky
    6. ⲡⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛ̅ ⲧⲉⲙⲣⲱ the water of the harbor
    7. ⲡⲣⲁⲛ ⲛ̅ ⲧⲣ̅ⲣⲱ the queen's name
    8. ⲛ̅ϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ ⲙ̅ ⲡϩⲗ̅ⲗⲟ the monk's books
    9. ⲡⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲓⲉⲣⲟ the water of the river
    10. ϩⲉⲛⲱⲛⲉ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ ⲡⲧⲟⲟⲩ some stones of the mountain
    11. ⲟⲩϩⲙ̅ϩⲁⲗ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ ⲡⲣ̅ⲣⲟ a slave of the king
    12. ⲧⲉⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲙ̅ ⲡϩⲙ̅ϩⲁⲗ the wife of the slave
    1. ⲟⲩⲛ̅-ⲟⲩⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ϩⲛ̅ ⲙ̅ⲡⲏⲩⲉ. There is (a) light in the heavens. / Light is in the heavens.
    2. ⲙⲛ̅-ⲧⲃ̅ⲧ ϩⲛ̅ ⲧⲉⲙⲣⲱ. There are no fish in the harbor. / No fish are in the harbor.
    3. ⲙⲛ̅-ⲙⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲓⲉⲣⲟ. There is no water in the river. / No water is in the river.
    4. ⲟⲩⲛ̅-ⲟⲩϩⲗ̅ⲗⲟ ϩⲓ ⲧⲉϩⲓⲏ. An old man is on the road. / There is an old man on the road.
    5. ⲟⲩⲛ̅-ϩⲉⲛⲱⲛⲉ ϩⲛ̅ ⲧⲉⲙⲣⲱ. There are some stones in the harbor. / Some stones are in the harbor.
    6. ⲙⲛ̅-ⲏⲓ ϩⲓϫⲙ̅ ⲡⲧⲟⲟⲩ. There is no house on the mountain. / No house is on the mountain.
    7. ⲛⲉϫⲏⲩ ϩⲓ ⲡⲉⲓⲉⲣⲟ ⲁⲛ. The boats are not on the river.
    8. ⲙⲛ̅-ϫⲟⲓ ϩⲓ ⲡⲉⲓⲉⲣⲟ. No boat is on the river. / There is not a boat on the river.
    9. ⲛ̅ϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ ϩⲓϫⲙ̅ ⲡϫⲟⲓ ⲁⲛ. The books are not on the boat.
    10. ⲙⲛ̅-ⲛⲟⲩⲃ ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲏⲓ ⲙ̅ ⲡϩⲙ̅ϩⲁⲗ. There is no gold in the slave's house. / No gold is in the slave's house.