Lesson 28

28.1 The Habitual⬆

The Habitual and its negative.

The Habitual (or praesens consuetudinis) describes an action or activity as characteristic or habitual. It may usually be translated by the English general present (I write, I work, etc.):

The Habitual forms a regular system with the converters:

The Habitual is basically tenseless (hence the designation aorist in some grammars) and gains its translation value from the context. The imperfect converter makes a past tense explicit, e.g. ⲛⲉ-ϣⲁϥⲥϩⲁⲓ he used to write. Note that subject resumption is required in the relative form: ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲉϣⲁϥⲣ̅-ⲡⲁⲓ the man who does thus. The Habitual belongs to the Tripartite Conjugation: only the Infinitive may be used in the verbal slot.

28.2 Emphasis⬆

The typical non-emphatic word order in a verbal clause is

We have seen that the conversion of the verbal prefix to a second tense form places a strong emphasis on the adverbial element, requiring in most cases a cleft sentence in the English translation. The use of the Coptic cleft sentence pattern, with ⲡⲉ, ⲧⲉ, ⲛⲉ + a relative form is a further device for giving special prominence to a subject or object. A somewhat weaker emphasis is achieved by placing a specific element of the clause at the beginning. Such preposed elements are usually resumed pronominally within the clause unless they are simple adverbial phrases. This transformation, known also as fronting or topicalization, is very common in Coptic; examples abound on every page. The element preposed may be completely unmarked as such, but the Greek particle ⲇⲉ is ubiquitous in this function. Fronted personal pronouns are always in the independent form. E.g.

The independent pronouns may be used appositionally to emphasize any suffixed pronoun, e.g. ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲧⲣⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ but when I heard; ⲉⲧⲃⲏⲏⲧⲕ̅ ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲕ for your sake. We have already mentioned the repetition in ⲛ̅ⲧⲕ̅-ⲛⲓⲙ ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲕ? Who are you? They may even stand before a relative clause, as in ⲡⲙⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲉϯⲙ̅ⲙⲟϥ the place which I am in.

The particles ⲉⲓⲥ and ⲉⲓⲥ ϩⲏⲏⲧⲉ add a certain vividness or immediacy to a following statement. If an element is topicalized, ⲉⲓⲥ generally occurs before nouns and ⲉⲓⲥ ϩⲏⲏⲧⲉ before pronouns.

The translation "behold" is purely conventional, but it is difficult to find a better English equivalent. The forms ⲉⲓⲥ ϩⲏⲏⲡⲉ, ⲉⲓⲥⲧⲉ, ⲉⲓⲥⲡⲉ, and ⲉⲓⲥ ϩⲏⲏⲧⲉ ⲉⲓⲥ also occur. ⲉⲓⲥ has several other functions:

1. with a following noun, as a complete predication:

   ⲉⲓⲥ ⲧⲉⲕⲥⲱⲛⲉ.

   Here is your sister.

2. as a "preposition" before temporal expressions, as in

   ⲉⲓⲥ ϣⲟⲙⲧⲉ ⲛ̅ ⲣⲟⲙⲡⲉ ⲙ̅ⲡⲉⲛⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟϥ.

   We have not seen him for three years.

28.3 Emphatic and intensive pronouns⬆

1. ⲙⲁⲩⲁⲁ⸗, ⲙⲁⲩⲁⲧ⸗, less frequently ⲟⲩⲁⲁ(ⲧ)⸗, is used in apposition to a preceding noun or pronoun: alone, sole, self, only. E.g.

   ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲙⲁⲩⲁⲁⲧ

   I alone, I by myself, only I

   ⲛⲁϥ ⲙⲁⲩⲁⲁϥ

   to him alone, to him only

   ⲡⲣ̅ⲣⲟ ⲙⲁⲩⲁⲁϥ

   the king himself, the king alone

2. ϩⲱⲱ⸗ (1 c.s. ϩⲱ or ϩⲱⲱⲧ, 2 f.s. ϩⲱⲱⲧⲉ, 2 c.pl. ϩⲱⲧ-ⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ̅), similar to the preceding, but often with the added nuance of "also, too, moreover". E.g.

   ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲕ ⲇⲉ ϩⲱⲱⲕ, ⲡⲁϣⲏⲣⲉ, ⲥⲉⲛⲁⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲣⲟⲕ ϫⲉ ⲡⲉⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲙ̅ ⲡⲉⲧ ϫⲟⲥⲉ.

   And you, moreover, my son, will be called the prophet of the Most High.

   ⲉⲓⲥ ⲉⲗⲓⲥⲁⲃⲉⲧ ⲧⲟⲩⲥⲩⲅⲅⲉⲛⲏⲥ ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲥ ϩⲱⲱⲥ ⲟⲛ ⲁⲥⲱ ⲛ̅ ⲟⲩϣⲏⲣⲉ ϩⲛ̅ ⲧⲉⲥⲙⲛ̅ⲧϩⲗ̅ⲗⲱ.

   Behold, Elisabeth your kinsman has also conceived a child in her old age.

   The form ϩⲱⲱϥ also serves as an adverb/conjunction "however, on the other hand" without any pronominal force. ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ is used likewise.

3. ⲙ̅ⲙⲓⲛ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟ⸗, an intensive pronoun, used in apposition to a preceding pronoun, usually possessive or reflexive:

   ⲡⲁⲏⲓ ⲙ̅ⲙⲓⲛ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲓ

   my own house

   ϩⲙ̅ ⲡⲉϥϯⲙⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲓⲛ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟϥ

   in his own village

28.4 The reciprocal pronoun⬆

The reciprocal pronoun "each other, one another" is expressed by possessive prefixes on -ⲉⲣⲏⲩ (fellow, companion), e.g.

28.5 Emphatic -ⲕⲉ-⬆

Further remarks on -ⲕⲉ-. In addition to the use of -ⲕⲉ- as an adjective "other, another" introduced in 4.3, -ⲕⲉ- may have a purely emphasizing function, e.g.

Both uses are frequent, and the correct translation will depend on a careful examination of the context.

There is a related set of pronouns: m.s. ϭⲉ or ⲕⲉⲧ, f.s. ⲕⲉⲧⲉ, c.pl. ⲕⲟⲟⲩⲉ. These occur alone mostly in negative expressions, e.g. ⲙ̅ⲡⲓⲛⲁⲩ ⲉ ϭⲉ I saw no one else. Otherwise the articles are added, as in ⲧⲕⲉⲧⲉ the other one (f.), ⲛ̅ⲕⲟⲟⲩⲉ the others, ϩⲉⲛⲕⲟⲟⲩⲉ some others. For the indefinite singular ⲕⲉⲟⲩⲁ and f. ⲕⲉⲟⲩⲉⲓ, another (one), are used.

28.6 Nouns with pronominal suffixes⬆

It was noted earlier that there is a small group of nouns which take pronominal suffixes in a possessive sense. Among the more important of these are

1. ϫⲱ⸗ head, mostly replaced by ⲁⲡⲉ in normal usage, occurs frequently in compound expressions. The prepositions ⲉϫⲛ̅, ⲉϫⲱ⸗ and ϩⲓϫⲛ̅, ϩⲓϫⲱ⸗ have already been introduced. Note also ϩⲁϫⲛ̅, ϩⲁϫⲱ⸗ before, in front of; ϥⲓ-ϫⲱ⸗ to raise one's head; ⲕⲁ-ϫⲱ⸗ to submit (reflex.), to compel (not reflex.); ϯ-ϫⲱ⸗ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉ to submit to; ⲟⲩⲉϩ-ϫⲱ⸗ to bow the head. There are other similar verbal compounds.
2. ⲉⲓⲁ, ⲉⲓⲁⲧ⸗ eye; mainly in compounds, e.g. ⲕⲧⲉ-ⲉⲓⲁⲧ⸗ to look around; ⲙⲉϩ-ⲉⲓⲁⲧ⸗ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟ⸗ to stare at; ⲧⲟⲩⲛ-ⲉⲓⲁⲧ⸗ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ to instruct, inform; cf. also ⲛⲁⲓⲁⲧ⸗ in the following lesson.
3. ⲣⲱ⸗ mouth. The unbound form ⲡ.ⲣⲟ appears often in the sense of "door, entrance", but in the sense of "mouth" it is usually replaced by ⲧⲁⲡⲣⲟ except in compounds, e.g. the prepositions ⲉⲣⲛ̅, ⲉⲣⲱ⸗ and ϩⲓⲣⲛ̅, ϩⲓⲣⲱ⸗; ⲕⲁ-ⲣⲱ⸗, ⲕⲱ ⲛ̅ ⲣⲱ⸗ to become/remain silent (Q ⲕⲁⲣⲁⲉⲓⲧ); ⲧⲙ̅-ⲣⲱ⸗ idem (as imptv.); ϫⲓ-ⲣⲱϥ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟ⸗ to obstruct, block.
4. ⲧⲟⲟⲧ⸗ hand, already commented upon in §10.4. The more important verbal compounds include ϯ-ⲧⲟⲟⲧ⸗ (Vocab. 26), ⲕⲁ-ⲧⲟⲟⲧ⸗ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ to cease (doing: Circum.), and ϩⲓ-ⲧⲟⲟⲧ⸗ to begin (see Vocab. below).

28.7 adverbial and prepositional expressions⬆

The nouns underlying the directional adverbs of Lesson 8 are used in several other important adverbial and prepositional expressions. With ⲛ̅, ϩⲓ, and ⲥⲁ they form adverbs of static location: e.g. ⲛ̅ ⲃⲟⲗ outside, ϩⲓ ϩⲟⲩⲛ inside, ⲥⲁ-ⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ underneath, below. Each of these may be converted into a prepositional phrase by adding ⲛ̅, ⲙ̅ⲙⲟ⸗: ϩⲓ ⲃⲟⲗ ⲛ̅ outside of, beyond; ⲥⲁ-ϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲛ̅ within, inside of. Nearly all the possible combinations occur: (ⲛ̅, ϩⲓ, ⲥⲁ) + (ⲃⲟⲗ, ϩⲟⲩⲛ, ϩⲣⲁⲓ up, ϩⲣⲁⲓ down, ⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ, ⲧⲡⲉ, ⲡⲁϩⲟⲩ, ⲡϣⲱⲓ) ± ⲙ̅ⲙⲟ⸗ (sometimes also + ⲉ). Their meanings are usually obvious from the context. The noun ⲡ.ⲥⲁ in these expressions means "side, direction". It is the same ⲥⲁ we have in ⲛ̅ⲥⲁ and ⲙⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲥⲁ. Note also the phrase (ⲛ̅) ⲥⲁ ⲥⲁ ⲛⲓⲙ on every side, everywhich way.