Lesson 27

27.1 Negative adjective compounds⬆

The prefix ⲁⲧ- is used to form negative adjectives from verbs and nouns:

This prefix was originally a negative relative pronoun; a trace of this older usage is found in the resumptive pronoun required in some expressions, e.g.

The resumptive pronoun agrees with the modified noun:

Nearly all ⲁⲧ- adjectives freely compound with ⲣ̅- (Q ⲟ ⲛ̅), as in ⲣ̅-ⲁⲧⲥⲟⲟⲩⲛ̅ to become/be ignorant, ⲣ̅-ⲁⲧⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ̅ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ to become/be invisible.

27.2 Compound nouns⬆

The distinction between a compound noun and a noun + ⲛ̅ + noun phrase is somewhat arbitrary. As a working definition we shall assume (1) that the first noun of a true compound noun must be in a reduced form different from the free (unbound) form, if indeed the latter exists; (2) that the linking ⲛ̅ be absent or at least optional. The most productive compounding prefixes are ⲙⲛ̅ⲧ-, ⲣⲙ̅(ⲛ̅)-, ⲣⲉϥ-, and ϭⲓⲛ.

1. ⲣⲉϥ- forms agent or actor nouns; the second element is normally a simple or compound infinitive, but occasionally a qualitative:

   ⲣⲉϥⲣ̅-ⲛⲟⲃⲉ	sinner
   ⲣⲉϥϣⲙ̅ϣⲉ	server, worshipper
   ⲣⲉϥⲙⲟⲟⲩⲧ	dead person
   ⲣⲉϥⲧⲁⲕⲟ	destroyer; perishable
   ⲣⲉϥϫⲓⲟⲩⲉ	thief

   These may be used nominally or adjectivally, e.g.

   ⲟⲩⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲛ̅ ⲣⲉϥⲣ̅-ⲛⲟⲃⲉ

   a sinful woman

   ⲟⲩⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲛ̅ ⲣⲉϥⲧⲁⲕⲟ

   a destructive spirit

   ⲧⲉⲓⲥⲁⲣⲝ ⲛ̅ ⲣⲉϥⲧⲁⲕⲟ

   this perishable flesh

   and may be formed freely from virtually any appropriate verb in the language.

2. ⲣⲙ̅-, ⲣⲙ̅ⲛ̅-, a reduced form of ⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛ̅, man of:

   ⲣⲙ̅ⲛ̅ⲕⲏⲙⲉ

   an Egyptian

   ⲣⲙ̅ⲛ̅ϩⲏⲧ

   a wise, discerning person

   ⲣⲙ̅ⲛ̅ⲛⲁⲍⲁⲣⲉⲑ

   a person from Nazareth

   ⲣⲙ̅ⲧⲱⲛ

   a person from where? as in ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲧⲛ̅-ϩⲉⲛⲣⲙ̅ⲛ̅ⲧⲱⲛ? Where are you from?

3. ⲙⲛ̅ⲧ- is used to form feminine abstract nouns from adjectives or other nouns. Compounds in ⲙⲛ̅ⲧ- are extremely numerous; the following is a typical sampling:

   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲩⲏⲏⲃ	priesthood
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲣⲟ	kingdom, kingship; the spelling ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲣ̅ⲣⲟ is less frequent
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲥⲁⲃⲉ	wisdom
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲃⲣ̅ⲣⲉ	youth; newness
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲣⲙ̅ⲛ̅ϩⲏⲧ	wisdom, prudence
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧϩⲗ̅ⲗⲟ	old age (of a man)
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧϩⲗ̅ⲗⲱ	old age (of a woman)
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲛⲟϭ	greatness; seniority
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲙⲟⲛⲁⲭⲟⲥ	monkhood
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲧⲧⲁⲕⲟ	imperishability; incorruptibility

   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧ- is also used to designate languages:

   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲣⲙ̅ⲛ̅ⲕⲏⲙⲉ	Egyptian
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧϩⲉⲃⲣⲁⲓⲟⲥ	Hebrew
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲩⲉⲉⲓⲉⲛⲓⲛ	Greek
   ⲙⲛ̅ⲧϩⲣⲱⲙⲁⲓⲟⲥ	Latin

4. ϭⲓⲛ- is used to form a feminine noun of action or gerund from any infinitive. The meaning ranges from concrete to abstract, e.g. ϭⲓⲛⲛⲁⲩ sight, vision; ϭⲓⲛⲟⲩⲱⲙ food (pl. ϭⲓⲛⲟⲩⲟⲟⲙ). These are so predictable in meaning that they have been systematically excluded from the Glossary unless they have acquired meanings not immediately obvious from that of the base verb.

   Les frequent compounding prefixes are ⲁⲛ-, ⲉⲓⲉⲡ- (ⲉⲓⲟⲡⲉ), ⲉⲓⲉϩ- (ⲉⲓⲱϩⲉ), ⲣⲁ- ⲥϯ- (ⲥⲧⲟⲓ), ϣⲟⲩ- (ϣⲁⲩ), ϣⲃⲣ̅- (ϣⲃⲏⲣ), ϣⲛ̅- (ϣⲏⲣⲉ), ϣⲥ̅ⲛ̅- (ⲥⲁϣ), and ϩⲁⲙ-. The reader may check these out in the Glossary.

   Nominalized relative clauses are sometimes taken as compound nouns, occurring with an extra article, e.g.

   (ⲡ)ⲡⲉⲧ ϣⲟⲩⲉⲓⲧ	vanity
   (ⲡ)ⲡⲉⲑⲟⲟⲩ	evil
   ⲟⲩⲡⲉⲧ ⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ	a saint

   A similar usage is found with ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ̅, designating origin or affiliation (the def. art. appears as ⲡⲉ-, ⲧⲉ-, ⲛⲉ-):

   ⲟⲩⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ̅ ⲧⲥⲩⲣⲓⲁ ⲡⲉ.

   He is a Syrian.

   ⲛⲉⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲏⲓ ⲛ̅ ⲇⲁⲩⲉⲓⲇ ⲛⲉ.

   They are the ones from the house of David.

27.3 Participium conjunctivum (proclitic participle)⬆

There is a form of the verb known as the participium conjunctivum (proclitic participle) used only for forming compounds with a following nominal element:

It is uniformly vocalized with -ⲁ-. For most verbs the p. c. is rare or non-existent; a few verbs like the above account for most of the examples encountered. Note especially the compounds of ⲙⲉ: ⲙⲁⲓ- (one who loves):

27.4 The Third Future ⬆

The Third Future and its negative:

The negative forms are also spelled as ⲉⲛⲛⲁ-, ⲉⲛⲛⲉⲕ- etc. The 1st pers. sing. also occurs as ⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲓⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅.

The Third Future is an emphatic or vivid future with a wide variety of nuances; in an independent clause it describes a future event as necessary, inevitable, or obligatory. The English translation will depend on the context: ⲉϥⲉⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ he shall hear, he is to hear, he is bound to hear, he must inevitably hear, he will surely hear, and similarly for the negative. The 2nd person is often used in commands and prohibitions:

One of the most frequent uses of the Third Future is to express purpose or result after the conjunctions ϫⲉ and ϫⲉⲕⲁ(ⲁ)ⲥ:

The same type of clause may be used as an object clause instead of the Inflected Infinitive after verbs of commanding, exhorting, and the like:

It may occasionally replace the Inflected Infinitive in other situations:

The Third Future is tripartite; only the infinitive may be used in the verbal slot. The Second Future is sometimes used instead of the Third Future after ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ and ϫⲉ.