Copt

In modern English usage, the word ''Copt'' refers to Christian natives of Egypt, in particular members of the Coptic Christianity. Arabic historians, such as Al-Makrizi, also use the Arabic equivalent of the word to refer to pre-Islam native Egyptians regardless of religion. Some modern Egyptian nationalists use ''Copt'' in a similarly generic sense to signify any native of Egypt. It should also be noted that Egyptian Christians seldom use the word ''Copt'' to refer to themselves, but use ''Christian'' instead. == Etymology == The English word ''Copt'' is from New Latin ''Coptus'', which is derived from Arabic language ''qubṭ'' قبط (pl. أقباط ''aqbāṭ''), an Arabisation of the Coptic language word ''kubti'' (Coptic language#Bohairic) and/or ''kuptaion'' (Coptic language#Sahidic). The Coptic itself is derived from the Greek language word , ''aiguptios'': "Egyptian", from , ''aiguptos'': "Egypt". The Greek term for "Egypt" has a long history. It goes back to the Mycenaean language (an early form of Greek) where the word ''a₃-ku-pi-ti-jo'' (lit. "Egyptian"; used here as a man's name) was written in Linear B. This Mycenaean form is from Egyptian language ''ḥwt-k3-ptḥ'' ("Hut-ka-Ptah"), literally "Estate (or 'House') of Ptah" (cf. Akkadian language ''^āluḫi-ku-up-ta-aḫ''), the name of the temple complex of the god Ptah at Memphis, Egypt. As the chief temple precinct of the capital of Egypt, the name was applied to the entire city of Memphis and ultimately to the country as a whole. (A similar situation is observed in the name ''Memphis'' [Greek Μέμφις], which comes from the Egyptian name of the Egyptian pyramids complex of Pharaoh Pepi II Neferkare, ''mn nfr ppy'' (lit. "Established in Perfection (or 'Beauty') is Pepy") at Saqqara but which was applied to the nearby capital city.) Interestingly, this usage survived in Sahidic as ''Gupton'' and ''Kupton'', meaning "Memphis". The older theory that the Arabic word ''qubṭ'' "Copt" was an Arabisation of the Greek name of the town of Κόπτος ''Coptos'' (modern قفط ''Qifṭ''; Coptic ''Kebt'' and ''Keft'') is generally no longer accepted. References to ''Copts'' in the Coptic language are both Greek and Coptic in origin. The words ''kuptaion'' (Sahidic) and ''kubti'' (Bohairic) are known, but are used in the surviving texts to refer to the language, rather than the people; these both derive from Greek Αἴγύπτιος ''aiguptios'' "Egyptian". The "native" Coptic term referring to ''Copts'' was ''rem en kēme'' (Sahidic), ''lem en kēmi'' (Coptic language#Fayyumic), rem en khēmi" (Bohairic), etc., literally "people of Egypt"; cf. Egyptian language ''rmṯ n kmt'', Demotic ''rmt n kmỉ''. ==Modern Usage== In modern usage, the word "Copt" has become synonymous with the Christian minority of Egypt as some Egyptian Christians claim exclusive, direct ancestry from the Egyptians of Pharaonic times. This, however is a controversial subject lacking evidence confirming its validty, the exclusion of non-Christian Egyptians from such ancestry. ==Related Words== *From the Greek word Αίγυπτος "Aiguptos" or "Aigyptos", the name for ''Egypt'' in many Europe languages was derived. *The word ''qabāṭī'' ''قباطي'', a kind of textile import from Egypt and which was used to cover the Kaaba since before Islam, is derived from Arabic قبط ''qubṭ''. *The English word ''gypsy'' is derived from the Middle English ''egypcien'' meaning "Egyptian". Likewise, the Spanish language word ''gitano'', also meaning ''gypsy'', derives from a common Latin source. This is due to the mistaken belief that gypsies were of Egyptian origin. ''Gypsy'' and the (probably) related term, ''gyp'' ("to swindle or cheat") are generally viewed as being pejorative; see the article ''Roma (people)''. *In modern Egyptian Arabic, the word ''koftes'' (pl. ''kafatsa''), used colloquially to refer to Christians , is perhaps an Egyptianised form of the Latin ''Coptus'', under phonetic and linguistic factors different from those which existed when ''qubṭ'' was derived from Greek ''aiguptios''. This, however, seems unlikely. == See also == * Coptic Christianity * Aigyptos, in Greek Mythology. * Egypt == External Links == * [http://St-Takla.org St Taklahimanot Coptic Orthodox Church - Egypt] * [http://www.st-peter-st-paul-coptic-orthodox-church.org/copt.html In Search of the Lost Egyptian Identity] Egypt Arabic words

Copt

Will someone please revert this page to before (10:50, 29 Jan 2005 Afanous) User_talk:Afanous#Coptic_et_al. --User:Alef01 11:57, 29 Jan 2005 (UTC) ---- I strongly disagree with the passage claiming the rejection of the usage of term 'Copt' by nationalist Muslim Egyptians to signify themselves, and suggesting the exclusive use by Christian Egyptians. As such, I edited it. Nefertum17, what is your idea about the etymology of modern Egyptian Arabic ''koftes''? Also, I'm not an Egyptlogist, but when I read ''ḥwt-k3-ptḥ'', knowing that ''ka'' means ''spirit'' and taking the layman's liberty of identifying ''ḥwt'' with Arabic حط ḥṭ or محط mḥṭ, meaning place of ''landing [of bird]'' or ''laying [something]'' or ''camping/stopping [of caravan]'', I find it should be translated as "''Place of the Spirit of Ptaḥ''" as suggested [http://www.st-peter-st-paul-coptic-orthodox-church.org/copt.html here] (section IV). --User:Alef01 22:42, 16 Feb 2005 (UTC)

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Words begining with Copt:

Copt
Copt
Copter
Copterline
Copthill
Copthorne
Coptic
Coptic
Coptic1
Coptics
Coptic_(disambiguation)
Coptic_Alphabet
Coptic_alphabet
Coptic_alphabet
Coptic_Apocalypse_of_Paul
Coptic_Apocalypse_of_Peter
Coptic_Calendar
Coptic_calendar
Coptic_calendar
Coptic_Catholic_Church
Coptic_Christian
Coptic_Christianity
Coptic_Christianity
Coptic_Christians
Coptic_Church
Coptic_Gospel_of_the_Egyptians
Coptic_Language
Coptic_Language
Coptic_language
Coptic_language
Coptic_Music
Coptic_music
Coptic_Orthodox
Coptic_Orthodox_Church
Coptic_Orthodox_Patriarch
Coptic_Orthodox_Patriarch_of_Alexandria
Coptic_Pope
Coptic_Popes
Coptic_Rain
Coptic_Saints
Coptologist
Coptology
Coptology
Coptri
Coptri
Copts
Copts