User:Algentem/sandbox3

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The Coptic alphabet and transliteration[edit]

The Coptic alphabet have 31 characters derived from both the Greek alphabet and the Demotic cursive hieroglyphic script (marked in green). Unlike the original Greek alphabet, Coptic does not posses -a distinct upper case version of its letters.

Coptic does not have a set transliteration. But since it derived from the Greek alphabet, we can borrow the Greek transliteration with few changes.

Case Characters
Upper Ϣ Ϥ Ϧ Ϩ Ϫ Ϭ Ϯ
Lower ϣ ϥ ϧ ϩ ϫ ϭ ϯ
Case Transliteration
Upper A B G D E Z Ē Th I K L M N Ks O P R S T U Ph Kh Ps Ō Š F X H C Ch Ti
Lower a b g d e z ē th i k l m n ks o p r s t u ph kh ps ō š f x h c ch ti

Other letters[edit]

  • Ϧ may be written either with a straight or a curled beginning.
  • Akhmimic used its own Ⳉ (a modification of Ϩ /h/) instead of Ϧ /x/.
  • Some earlier manuscripts contain a special adaption of shai "Ⳃ ⳃ" and a unique "Ⳋ ⳋ", both probably representing a voiceless palatal fricative (/ç/).

Origin[edit]

The origin for the additional seven characters — shai, fai, xai, hori, cancia, chima and tiei — is from Egyptian hieroglyphs through a mediate cursive form known as Demotic.

Characters
Letter Ϣ Ϥ Ϧ Ϩ Ϫ Ϭ Ϯ
Hieroglyphic
SA
f
M12
F18
Y1
U29
k
D37
t
Demotic

Vowels[edit]

All dialects seem to have had the same vowel set, but they utilized them differently.

Vowels (all dialects)
Front Central Back
Close i, , y u,
Close-mid e, o,
Mid ə
Open-mid ɛ, ɛː ɔ, ɔː
Open a,

Consonants[edit]

Labial Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n (ŋ)
Stop voiceless p t t͡ʃ c[note 1] k ʔ
ejective t͡ʃʼ
aspirated t͡ʃʰ
voiced (d) (ɡ)
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ x[note 2] h
voiced β (z)
Trill r
Approximant l j w
  1. ^ Absent in Bohairic.
  2. ^ Absent in Fayyumic, Lycopolitan, Oxyrhinchite, and Sahidic. Generally replaced by /h/.

Velar nasal[edit]

Scholars noticed a possible realization of a velar nasal, particularly in Sahidic. The digraph "ⲛⲕ" /nk/ may be interchanged with "ⲛⲅ" at the end of words. According to Vergote, Ernštedt, Loprieno and Kasser, this points to a realization of [ng] or [ŋg], according to Hinze and Worrel [ŋk], and according to Cartreau and Peust simply [ŋ] similar to German nk.

  • ⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛⲅ (tōoung) “rise yourself” /ˈtownk/ [ˈtowŋg] or [ˈtowŋk] or [ˈtowŋ] from Egyptian dwn.k

The rare digraph "ⲙⲕ" /nk/ is also interchangeable with "ⲙⲅ". According to Peust, this is realized as [mŋ]:

Sahidic[edit]

Sahidic consonants
Labial Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n (ŋ)
Stop voiceless p t t͡ʃ c k ʔ
ejective t͡ʃʼ
aspirated t͡ʃʰ
voiced (d) (ɡ)
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ h
voiced β (z)
Trill r
Approximant l j w

Bohairic[edit]

Bohairic consonants
Labial Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n (ŋ)
Stop voiceless p t t͡ʃ k ʔ
ejective t͡ʃʼ
aspirated t͡ʃʰ
voiced b (d) (ɡ)
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ x h
voiced β (z)
Trill r
Approximant l j w