Goal: learn 12 new consonants: their names, how they are said and written, a few words with each, the rules for Vita and Delta, and the second rule of the jinkim. After this lesson you know 27 letters.
Twelve new consonants
| Letter | Name | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| Ⲍ ⲍ | Zeta | "z" as in "zoo" |
| Ⲝ ⲝ | Eksi | "ks" as in "max" |
| Ϩ ϩ | Hori | "h" |
| Ϥ ϥ | Fai | "f" |
| Ⲫ ⲫ | Phi | "f" |
| Ⲧ ⲧ | Tav | "t" (more in lesson 1.4) |
| Ϯ ϯ | Ti | "ti" |
| Ϧ ϧ | Khai | "kh" |
| Ⲯ ⲯ | Psi | "ps" |
| Ϭ ϭ | Chima | "tch" as in "chat" |
| Ⲇ ⲇ | Delta | "th" as in "the"; "d" in names |
| Ⲃ ⲃ | Vita | "v" before a vowel; "b" before a consonant, at the end of a word and in names |
Ⲫ (Phi) and ϥ (Fai) both say “f”: Phi is Greek, Fai is Egyptian.
ActivityEasy
Twelve new consonants
Choose the letter that makes each sound.
Which letter says "z" as in "zoo"?
Zeta (ⲍ)
Which letter says "ks" as in "max"?
Eksi (ⲝ)
Which letter says "h"?
Hori (ϩ)
Which letter says "kh"?
Khai (ϧ)
Which letter says "ti"?
Ti (ϯ)
Which letter says "ps"?
Psi (ⲯ)
Which letter says "tch" as in "chat"?
Chima (ϭ)
ActivityEasy
Letter names
Match each letter with its name.
Choose an answer for every row first.
The rules for Vita and Delta
Vita (ⲃ)
- Followed by a vowel: “v”. ⲃⲁ = va, ⲃⲉ = ve, ⲃⲓ = vi, ⲃⲏ = vii, ⲃⲟ = vo, ⲃⲱ = voa, ⲃⲩ = vi.
- Otherwise “b”: before a consonant, at the end of a word, and always in names: ⲛⲟⲩⲃ “Noob” (gold), Ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃ “Jakoab” (Jacob).
Delta (ⲇ)
- Always said like the English “th” in “the”: ⲇⲉ “Ze” (and, but).
- Said “d” in names: Ⲇⲁⲩⲓⲇ “David”, Ⲇⲁⲛⲓⲏⲗ “Daniil”.
ActivityMedium
Vita (ⲃ) and Delta (ⲇ)
How is the letter in brackets said in each word?
ⲃⲁⲗ (ⲃ)
A vowel comes after ⲃ: "v".
Ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃ (ⲃ)
ⲃ at the end of a word or before a consonant: "b".
ⲛⲟⲩⲃ (ⲃ)
ⲃ at the end of a word or before a consonant: "b".
ⲃⲁⲕⲓ (ⲃ)
A vowel comes after ⲃ: "v".
ⲃⲉⲗⲗⲉ (ⲃ)
A vowel comes after ⲃ: "v".
Ⲇⲁⲛⲓⲏⲗ (Ⲇ)
A name, so ⲇ is "d".
ⲇⲉ (ⲇ)
Not a name, so ⲇ is "th" as in "the".
Ⲇⲁⲩⲓⲇ (Ⲇ)
A name, so ⲇ is "d".
Jinkim, rule 2
Over a vowel, the jinkim makes the vowel short and clipped, a syllable of its own apart from what follows. No “e” sound is added; the jinkim stops the vowel from melting into the next sound.
| Without jinkim | With jinkim |
|---|---|
| ⲁⲓ = aj | ⲁ̀ⲓ = a-i |
| ⲉⲱ = eoa | ⲉ̀ⲱ = e-oa |
Rule 1 still holds: over a consonant, a short “e” comes before it, as in ϩ̀ⲙⲟⲧ “ehmott” (grace).
ActivityMedium
Jinkim rules 1 and 2
How is it said?
ⲁⲓ
No jinkim: the vowels melt together.
ⲁ̀ⲓ
Jinkim over a vowel: the vowel is said short, as its own syllable.
ⲉⲱ
No jinkim: the vowels melt together.
ⲉ̀ⲱ
Jinkim over a vowel: the vowel is said short, as its own syllable.
ⲉ̀ⲛⲉϩ
Jinkim over a vowel: the vowel is said short, as its own syllable.
ϩ̀ⲙⲟⲧ
Jinkim over a consonant: a short "e" before it.
Reading practice
| Coptic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ⲕⲁϩⲓ | land, earth · said "Kahi" |
| ⲣⲁⲥϯ | tomorrow · said "Rasti" |
| ϧⲉⲛ | in · said "Khen" |
| ⲯⲁⲗⲙⲟⲥ | psalm · said "Psalmoss" |
| ϭⲣⲟⲙⲡⲓ | dove · said "Tchrommpi" |
| ⲛⲟⲩϯ | God · said "Nooti" |
| ⲉ̀ⲛⲉϩ | eternity · said "E-neh" |
| ϣⲁ ⲉ̀ⲛⲉϩ | for ever · said "Sha e-neh" |
| ϣⲉⲡ̀ϩⲙⲟⲧ | to thank, thanksgiving · said "shep-ehmott" |
| ϯϣⲉⲡ̀ϩⲙⲟⲧ | I thank · said "ti-shep-ehmott" |
ActivityMedium
Reading practice
How is each word said?
ⲯⲁⲗⲙⲟⲥ
ⲕⲁϩⲓ
ⲣⲁⲥϯ
ϧⲉⲛ
ϭⲣⲟⲙⲡⲓ
ⲛⲟⲩϯ
Important words
The four directions:
| Coptic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ϧⲏⲧ | north · said "khiit" |
| ⲣⲏⲥ | south · said "riis" |
| ⲓⲉⲃⲧ | east · said "jebt" |
| ⲉⲙⲉⲛⲧ | west · said "ement" |
ActivityEasy
Words to know
Match each word with its meaning.
Choose an answer for every row first.