Lesson 6

6.1 The independent personal pronouns⬆

ⲁⲛⲟⲕ I
ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲕ you (m.s.)
ⲛ̅ⲧⲟ you (f.s.)
ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ he, it (m.)
ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲥ she, it (f.)
ⲁⲛⲟⲛ we
ⲛ̅ⲧⲱⲧⲛ̅ you (c.pl.)
ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲟⲩ they (c.pl.)

These pronouns occur frequently in sentences with ⲡⲉ, ⲧⲉ, ⲛⲉ. When used as predicates in a two-member sentence, they are invariably followed by ⲡⲉ:

ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲉ. It is I.
ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲥ ⲡⲉ. It is she.
ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ. It is we.

In three-member sentences they may appear in ordinary subject or predicate positions:

ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲭ̅ⲥ̅.
He is the Christ.
ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ ⲟⲩⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲉ.
He is a god.
ⲛⲉϥϩⲙ̅ϩⲁⲗ ⲛⲉ ⲁⲛⲟⲛ.
We are his servants.

In sentences with an indefinite nominal predicate a special construction without ⲡⲉ is used with the pronouns of the 1st and 2nd person; negation is with ⲁⲛ alone:

ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲟⲩϩⲁⲙϣⲉ (ⲁⲛ).
I am (not) a carpenter.
ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ϩⲉⲛⲟⲩⲏⲏⲃ.
We are priests.

In this construction a reduced proclitic form of the pronoun is very often used:

ⲁⲛⲅ̅- I
ⲛ̅ⲧⲕ̅- you (m.s.)
ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ- you (f.s.)
ⲁⲛ- we
ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲧⲛ̅- you (c.pl.)

as in

ⲁⲛⲅ̅-ⲟⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ (ⲁⲛ).
I am (not) an angel.
ⲛ̅ⲧⲕ̅-ⲟⲩϩⲁⲙϣⲉ.
You are a carpenter.
ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲧⲛ̅-ϩⲉⲛⲙⲁⲑⲏⲧⲏⲥ.
You are pupils.

A 3rd person masc. form ⲛ̅ⲧϥ̅- also occurs, but is very rare. The reduced forms of the 1st and 2nd person pronouns may also be used with a definite predicate, but this construction is rather infrequent:

ⲁⲛⲅ̅-ⲑⲙ̅ϩⲁⲗ ⲙ̅ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ.
I am the handmaiden of the Lord.

6.2 The interrogative pronouns.⬆

ⲛⲓⲙ who?
ⲁϣ what?
ⲟⲩ what?

These pronouns are used in sentences with ⲡⲉ, ⲧⲉ, ⲛⲉ:

ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉ?
Who is it?
ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ?
What is it?
ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲓⲣⲱⲙⲉ?
Who is this man?
ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲕⲣⲁⲛ?
What is your name? (note idiom)
ⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲓ?
What is this?
ⲟⲩ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲁⲓ?
What are these?

The interrogative pronoun normally stands first. The choice of number and gender for the copula depends on the understood or expressed subject. The pronoun ⲟⲩ is also found with the indefinite article:

ⲟⲩⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ?
What is it? (lit.: It is a what?)
ϩⲉⲛⲟⲩ ⲛⲉ?
What are they? (lit.: They are whats?)

When the subject is a personal pronoun of the 1st or 2nd person, it may be placed before ⲛⲓⲙ or ⲟⲩ in normal or proclitic form:

ⲛ̅ⲧⲕ̅-ⲛⲓⲙ?
Who are you?
ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲕ ⲟⲩⲟⲩ?
What are you?

The personal pronoun may be repeated for emphasis:

ⲁⲛⲅ̅-ⲛⲓⲙ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ?
Who am I?

Note that ⲛⲓⲙ may also be used in ordinary genitive constructions:

ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲛ̅ ⲛⲓⲙ?
Whose son?

Vocabulary 6⬆

Greek nouns:

Proper names:

Exercises⬆

  1. ⲁⲛⲅ̅-ⲟⲩϩⲙ̅ϩⲁⲗ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ ⲡϩⲏⲅⲉⲙⲱⲛ. I am a slave of the governor.
  2. ⲟⲩⲛ̅-ⲟⲩϣⲱⲥ ⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩ ϩⲓ ⲧⲥⲱϣⲉ. There is a shepherd there in the field.
  3. ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲛⲥⲁϩ. You (ms. sg.) are our teacher.
  4. ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉϥⲉⲥⲟⲟⲩ. We are his sheep.
  5. ⲛ̅ ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ. It is not us.
  6. ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲟⲟⲩ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲉϥⲗⲁⲟⲥ. He is the glory of his people.
  7. ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ-ⲛⲓⲙ ⲛ̅ⲧⲟ? Who are you (fm. sg.)?
  8. ⲁⲛⲅ̅-ⲟⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ. I am an angel of God.
  9. ⲟⲩⲛ̅-ⲟⲩⲥⲏϥⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩ. There is a sword there.
  10. ⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲓⲙⲁⲉⲓⲛ? What is this marvel?
  11. ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲟⲩϩⲁⲓ. He is your (fm. sg.) husband.
  12. ⲡⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ. This is God's law.
  13. ⲟⲩⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ? What is the gospel?
  14. ⲡⲓ̅ⲏ̅ⲗ̅ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉϥⲗⲁⲟⲥ. His people is Israel.
  15. ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ. It's them.
  16. ⲛⲓⲙ ⲛⲉ? ⲛⲉⲥⲥⲩⲅⲅⲉⲛⲏⲥ ⲛⲉ. Who are they? They are her relatives.
  17. ⲛ̅ⲧⲟ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ. You (fm. sg.) are my wife.
  18. ⲛ̅ ⲟⲩⲱⲛⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ. It is not a stone.
  19. ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲓⲱⲥⲏⲫ. I am Joseph.
  20. ⲡⲉⲟⲟⲩ ⲙ̅ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ϩⲓϫⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲓⲣⲱⲙⲉ. The glory of the Lord is upon this man.
  21. ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲓ? ⲟⲩⲙⲁⲉⲓⲛ ⲡⲉ. What is this? It is a sign.
  22. ⲙⲉϣⲁⲕ ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲭ̅ⲥ̅. Perhaps he is the Christ.
  23. ⲟⲩϯⲙⲉ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ ⲧⲅⲁⲗⲓⲗⲁⲓⲁ ⲡⲉ. It is a village of Galilee.
  24. ⲡⲉⲣⲡⲉ ⲛ̅ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲓ? Whose temple is this?
  25. ⲡⲉⲓϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ ⲟⲩⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ. This book is a gospel.
  26. ⲛ̅ⲧⲱⲧⲛ̅ ⲡⲉ. It's you (pl.).
  27. ⲁϣ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲉϩⲓⲏ? What is the way?
  28. ⲟⲩⲛ̅-ⲟⲩϩⲏⲅⲉⲙⲱⲛ ϩⲛ̅ ⲧⲥⲩⲣⲓⲁ. There is a governor in Syria.
  29. ⲁϣ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲉⲓϭⲟⲙ? What is this power?
  30. ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲧⲛ̅-ϩⲉⲛⲟⲩⲏⲏⲃ. You (pl.) are priests.
  31. ⲑⲗ̅ⲗⲱ ⲛ̅ⲛⲁϩⲣⲙ̅ ⲡϩⲏⲅⲉⲙⲱⲛ. The old woman is in the presence of the governor.
  32. ⲙⲛ̅-ϯⲙⲉ ϩⲛ̅ ⲧⲟⲣⲓⲛⲏ ⲉⲧ ⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩ. There is no village in that hill-country.
  33. ⲡⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲣ̅ⲣⲟ. This is the king's law.
  34. ⲟⲩⲛ̅-ϩⲉⲛϣⲟⲟⲥ ϩⲓ ⲡⲧⲟⲟⲩ. There are some shepherds on the mountain.
  35. ⲡⲉⲓⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲁⲉⲓⲛ ⲡⲉ. This light is a sign.
  36. ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲥ ⲟⲩⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ ⲧⲉ. She is a virgin.
  37. ⲛ̅ϭⲁⲙⲟⲩⲗ ⲛ̅ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲛⲉ? Whose camels are they?
  38. ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲭ̅ⲥ̅ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ. John is not the Christ.
  39. ⲡⲕⲉⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲡⲁⲥⲩⲅⲅⲉⲛⲏⲥ ⲡⲉ. The other man is my relative.
  40. ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙ̅ ⲡϩⲁⲙϣⲉ. He is the son of the carpenter.
  41. ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲕⲁⲕⲉ ⲉⲧ ϩⲓϫⲛ̅ ⲧⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ? What is the darkness which is upon the city?
  42. ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲁⲥⲛⲏⲩ ⲛⲉ. They are my brothers.
  43. ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛ̅ϣⲁϫⲉ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲧⲛ̅ⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ. These are the words of your (pl.) law.
  44. ⲛ̅ⲕⲉⲉⲥⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲛ̅ ⲧⲥⲱϣⲉ. The other sheep are in the field.
  45. ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲣⲁⲛ ⲙ̅ ⲡϩⲏⲅⲉⲙⲱⲛ? What is the governor's name?
  46. ⲧⲁⲓ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲥⲏϥⲉ. This is my sword.
  47. ⲟⲩⲙⲁⲉⲓⲛ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ ⲧⲉϥϭⲟⲙ ⲡⲉ. It is a sign of his power.
  48. ⲛⲓⲙ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲙⲁⲁⲩ ⲛ̅ ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ? Who is John's mother?