Conjugation of Some Coptic Tenses

“Person” is a grammatical category referring to the number and gender of the participants in a situation. Speakers use the 1 st person pronouns when referring to themselves or a group including themselves; as “I and We”. The 2 nd person pronoun refers to a person(s) being addressed. A 3 rd person pronoun refers to other people, animals, things etc. The following demonstrates the grammatical “Persons” both singular and plural.

1st person singular 1st person plural

I, Me We, Us

2nd person singular 2nd person plural

You (Thou) You (Thou)

3rd person singular 3rd person plural

He, She, It, Him, Her They, Them, It

Coptic (ancient Egyptian) has a more sophisticated and extensive use of the three persons of speech, that permeate the entire language. In fact the three persons in Coptic speech is the blue print for the grammar throughout the language. Each persons of speech in Coptic has a distinct alphabetic representation used in grammatical modification throughout the language as follows;

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The “Three Persons” of the Personal Pronouns in Coptic are represented by the Coptic letters;

1st person singular 1st person plural

I, Me We, Us

Coptic Coptic i + nnn

2nd person singular 2nd person plural

You (Thou) You (Thou)

Coptic Coptic k = you (thou) feminine tetN = you (thou) ttt = you (thou) masculine

3rd person singular 3rd person plural

He, She, It, Him, Her They, Them

Coptic Coptic f = he, him ououou,ou ,,, se = they, them sss = she, her

2 The blue print for grammatical conjugation of verbs and formation of the tenses are based on additions to the basic Coptic letters representing the three persons in the parts of speech; I, me, you, he, she it, they, or them ( i, +, n, k, t, tetN, f, s, ou, se) .

For example if we have a Coptic verb “to see” ( nau ), certain letters of the Coptic “Three Persons” would be prefixed to the verb to conjugate the verb as follows;

+ -“see” = I-“see” = +. nau f-“see” = he-“sees” = f. nau s-“see” = she-“sees” = s. nau

Even the Coptic personal pronouns will have corresponding Coptic letters designating one of the three grammatical “Persons” attached to them.

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Coptic Personal Pronouns of the Three “Persons”

1st single 1st plural anok , anog , anK , ano nnn, We anG , I naiaiai , to Me nan , to Us

2nd single 2nd plural

Nto kkk, Nt KKK, to Thee (you NtwtN , N tetN , ,masc.) To Ye (you)

Nto , to Thee (you fem.) nak , to Thee (you masc,) Thnou , thutN , To Ye or To You ne , to Thee (you fem.)

3rd single 3rd plural

Nto fff, He Nto ououou , They, Them Nto sss, She Nauauau , To them Na fff, To Him Na sss, To Her

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Examples of Coptic conjugation using “ nnnaunauauau = to see, look at” as an example

1st Present

1st person singular 1st person plural

+ nau tN nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural k nau tetN nau te nau tR nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural f nau se nau s nau sou nau

I am seeing, I see

These are pronoun prefixes. The First Present usually describes action, activity, or process in progress at the time of speaking. In this case it is equivalent to the English progressive present (I am…verb). The exception is those English verbs that do not use this form, such as; think, know, see, hear, understand, wish, hope, believe. These words use the simple present as;

+.nau = I see, +.eime = I understand

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Relative of the Present I

1st person singular 1st person plural e+ nau etN nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural etK nau etetN nau ete

3rd person singular 3rd person plural etF nau etou nau etS nau

Who/which

The relative form of the First Present uses the relative pronoun et, ete (who/which).

tpolis etou ouwx NxhtS = the city in which they are settling Nšaje e+e+e+ sxai Mmoou = the words which I am writing pšhre etF nakaaf Nswf = the child whom he will leave behind nentolh etF nataau nan = the commandments which he will give to us prwme etK šine Nswf = the man whom you are seeking

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The relative pronoun et, ete (who/which) can stand alone when it is the subject of a relative clause as follows; prwme etetet rine = the man who is weeping net swtM eee našaje = those who hear my words

Matoi etetet naamaxte Mmof = the soldiers who will seize him

Nrwme etetet naeine M pxat = the men who will bring the silver

7 Second Present = Circumstantial

1st person singular 1st person plural ei nau eN nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural ek nau etetN nau er

3rd person singular 3rd person plural ef nau eu nau es nau

It is that I am seeing

The circumstantial is found only in subordinate clauses. eieiei axerat xaxtM perpe, ainau eunoqx M mhhše standing near the temple, I saw a great crowd auxe e prwme efefef xmoos xN tagora they found the man sitting in the marketplace annau eroou eueueu mooše xi texih we saw them walking on the road

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Perfect Tense I

1st person singular 1st person plural ai nau an nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural ak nau aretN nau are nau atetN nau ar nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural af nau au nau a nau are nau as nau ars nau are nau a nau

I saw

The Coptic 1 st Perfect corresponds to the English, preterit (simple past tense; I went, I came, I ran, I wept, I sat down, etc.). If the Coptic context requires it, the English perfect, i.e. “I have written” suffices. 1 aiaiai nau eunoqx M mhhše = I saw a great crowd aaa.prwme bwk = the man went, prwme afafaf bwk = the man went, tesxime asasas bwk = the woman went

Used with pronoun subject Nqi , afafaf bwk Nqi prwme = the man went asasas bwk Nqi tesxime = the woman went.

1 Lambdin, T.O, Introduction to Sahidic Coptic, Mercer University Press, 1998 Macon Ga 31207

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Used with e, afafaf bwk e pekro = he went to the shore auauau pwt e tekklhsia = they ran to the church auauau ale e pjoi = they got on (into) the ship

Negative Perfect

Mpi MpN Mpek MpetN Mpe (r) Mpef Mpou Mpes

Use; af.ouom.f Mpef .ouom.f he ate it he did not eat it

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Perfect Tense II

1st person singular 1st person plural

Ntai nau Ntan nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural

Ntak nau NtatetN nau Ntare nau Ntar nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural

Ntaf nau Ntas nau Ntau nau Ntare nau

Which I saw

The Relative of the First Perfect is the Perfect II with or without “e”. Also note the following eeentaientai .swtM which I heard, entan .swtM eeentakentak .swtM entatetN .swtM eeentareentare .swtM eeentafentaf .swtM entau .swtM eeentasentas .swtM

11 Imperfect

1st person singular 1st person plural nei nau nen nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural nG nau neretN nau nere nnnaunauauau nereten nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural nf nau neu nau nef nere neef nau nes nau nere nau

I was seeing

The Imperfect is used to describe an action, activity, or process as in progress in past time. It also conveys habitual or recurring activity in the past as; “they used to…, they would…” The Imperfect may take pe , after the verb. prwme ete nef mooše xi texih the man who was walking on the road phi ete neu kwt Mmof the house which they were building phi e neu kwt Mmof the house which they were building

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Pluperfect… Tattam 84

1st person singular 1st person plural ne ai nau …. pe ne an nau …. pe

2nd person singular 2nd person plural ne ak nau …. pe ne aretN nau …. pe ne are nau …. pe ne atetN nau …. pe ne ar nau …. pe

3rd person singular 3rd person plural ne af nau …. pe ne au nau …. pe ne a nau …. pe ne are nau …. pe ne as nau …. pe ne a nau …. pe ne are

I had seen… Formed by adding the auxiliary verb ne …pe , to the prefix of the Perfect definite. Translates “I had...seen” (Tattam 63)

13 Future Imperfect (Tattam 64) Future Imperfect

1st person singular 1st person plural nei na nau …. pe nen na nau …. pe

2nd person singular 2nd person plural nek na nau …. pe neretN nau …. na pe nG na nau …. pe

3rd person singular 3rd person plural nef na nau …. pe neu na nau …. pe nes na nau …. pe nere na nau …. pe nere na nau …. pe

I would or should have seen.

This is formed by the prefixes of the imperfect tense and the signs of the future definite.

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Future Tense Indefinite

1st person singular 1st person plural

+na nau tNna nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural kna nau tetna nau tena nau tera nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural fna nau sena nau sna nau

I will see, I’m going to see, I shall see sena moux N raše Nqi nen2uyh you will fill with joy visa vi our souls (our souls will fill with joy)

+na xwp xM pjaeie I will hide in the desert

Ntetna eime an e nefparabolh You (pl) will know not his parables

15 Future Tense Indefinite

1st person singular 1st person plural eina nau enna nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural ekna nau etetna nau erena nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural efna nau euna nau esna nau

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Future Tense

1st person singular 1st person plural eie nau ene nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural eke nau eretene nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural efe nau eue nau ese nau ere nau

I will see,

Negative Future III

Nna Nnen Nnek NnetN Nne Nnef Nnes

Use; efeouomf Nnef ouom he will eat it he will not eat it

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Second Future Indefinite (Tattam 77)

1st person singular 1st person plural ta nau tarN nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural tare nau taretN nau tarek nau tera

3rd person singular 3rd person plural taref nau tarou nau tares nau

I shall see/ So as to see

According to Lambdin the future conjunctive is basically a result clause, especially after an imperative; swteM eroi tarek R.sabe Listen to me and you will become wise (so as to be wise) nim pentafnau erof taref šaje erof Who has seen him so as to be able to describe him. eftwn pekson tarN šaje nMmaf Where is your brother that we may speak with him

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Subjunctive (Tattam 78)

1st person singular 1st person plural

Nteri nau Nteren nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural

Nterek nau Ntereten nau Ntere nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural

Nteref nau Nterou nau Nteres nau Ntere nau When I saw

Nteri ep.pxat, aaitaafitaaf nau When I counted the silver I gave it to them

Nteref jwk ebol N neišaje, When he finished these words aftwm N nefbal afmou he closed his eyes and died

Nteres .tM.xe e tesšeere Mmau, asrime When she did not find her daughter there she wept

The negative Subjunctive (Temporal) has .tM prefixed to the infinitive as;

Nteri .tM.qine Mmof When I did not find him

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Opative (Injunctive)

1st person singular 1st person plural mari nau marN nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural marek nau marten nau mare nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural maref nau marou nau mares nau mare nau

Let me see

In standard Sahidic this tense only occurs in the 1st and 3 rd person. This tense is a tripartite and is only used with the infinitive. The negative is expressed with the prefix MpR. As;

MpR .tref.bwk = don’t let him go MpR .treu.mooutf = don’t let them kill him

The free form maron is used alone in a sentence and means “let’s go” Maref swtM MpRtref swtM Let him hear let him not hear (may he hear) (may he not hear)

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Habitual

1st person singular 1st person plural

šai nau šan nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural

šak nau šaretN nau šare nau šatetN nau šar nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural

šaf nau šau nau ša nau šare nau šas nau ša nau šes nau šare nau

I am accustomed to see

Negative Habitual mei men mek metetN mere mef meu mes

Use; šafbwk mef bwk he is accustomed to go he does not go

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Inflected Infinitive (Causative)

1st person singular 1st person plural tra nau trN nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural tre nau tretN nau trek nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural tref nau treu nau tres nau

Caused me to see/ that I see

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Conditional

1st person singular 1st person plural eišan nau enšan nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural ekšan nau etetNšan nau erešan nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural efšan nau eušan nau esšan nau

If/When I see efefefšanef šan qNt fnamouout mmoi if he finds me he will kill me ekšan kaat e bwk +naktoi e šiht if you let me go I will return to Shaet (Scetis)

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Conjunctive

1st person singular 1st person plural

Nta nau NtN nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural

Ng nau NtetN nau nG nau Nte nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural

Nf nau Nse nau nF Ns nau nS

And I see

+nabwk Nta šaje nMmaf I shall go and speak with him xmoos Nf swtM e tasbw sit down and listen to my teaching ani.Njwwmw NtetN aau naf bring the books and give them to me

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“Not Yet”

1st person singular 1st person plural

Mpa+ nau MpatN nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural

MpatK nau MpatetN nau Mpate nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural

MpatF nau Mpatou nau MpatS nau

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Until

1st person singular 1st person plural

šan+ nau šantN nau šanta

2nd person singular 2nd person plural

šantK nau šantetN nau šante nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural

šantF nau šantS nau šantou nau

šantes jpo mpešhre until she bore a son (Matt 1:25) šant joos nak until I shall tell you (Matt 2:13) šante xhrwdhs mou until Herod dies (Matt 2:15) šant ounau etmNtRro mpnoute until they see the kingdom of God (Lk 9:27)

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pjin.nau = seeing pajin.nau = my seeing pekjin.nau = thy (you) seeing pefin.nau = his seeing

pjin.ta. nau = seeing pjin.tek. nau = thy (you) seeing pjin.tef. nau = his seeing pjin.ten. nau = our seeing pjin.teten. nau = y our seeing pjin.tou. nau = their seeing

tre , to do, to make (to cause a thing to be) Perfect Tense form 1st person singular 1st person plural ai.tre nau an.tre nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural ak.tre nau atetN.tre nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural af.tre nau au.tre nau as.tre nau

I have caused to see

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tre , to do, to make (to cause a thing to be) Imperfect Tense form 1st person singular 1st person plural nei.tre nau nen.tre nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural nG.tre nau neretN.tre nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural nef.tre nau neu.tre nau nes.tre nau

I caused to see tre , to do, to make (to cause a thing to be) Future Tense III form 1st person singular 1st person plural eie.tre nau ene.tre nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural eke.tre nau eretene.tre nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural efe.tre nau eue.tre nau ese.tre nau

I will cause to see

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tre , to do, to make (to cause a thing to be) Future Tense Indefinite form 1st person singular 1st person plural

+na.tre nau tNna.tre nau

2nd person singular 2nd person plural kna.tre nau tetna.tre nau tena.tre nau tera.tre nau

3rd person singular 3rd person plural fna.tre nau sena.tre nau sna.tre nau

I will cause to see

Before I have fulfilled, Imperfect 1st person singular 1st person plural

Mpa+.jwk.ebol Mpaten.jwk.ebol

2nd person singular 2nd person plural

Mpatek.jwk.ebol Mpateten.jwk.ebol

3rd person singular 3rd person plural

Mpatefjwk.ebol Mpatou.jwk.ebol Mpates.jwk.ebol Mpate.jwk.ebol Mpate.jwk.ebol

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Until I shall fulfill, Future 1st person singular 1st person plural

ša+.jwk.ebol šaten.jwk.ebol

2nd person singular 2nd person plural

šatek.jwk.ebol šateten.jwk.ebol

3rd person singular 3rd person plural

šatef.jwk.ebol šatou.jwk.ebol šates.jwk.ebol šate.jwk.ebol šate.jwk.ebol

Some Suffix Verbs;

I said 1st person singular 1st person plural peja.i peja.n

2nd person singular 2nd person plural peja.k pejh.tN

3rd person singular 3rd person plural peja.f peja.u peja.s

Use; peje p.rwme = the man said

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I have 1st person singular 1st person plural ouNta.i ouNta.n

2nd person singular 2nd person plural ounta.k ouNta.tN

3rd person singular 3rd person plural ouNta.f ouNta.u ouNta.s

Use; ouNte p.rwme = the man has

I don’t have 1st person singular 1st person plural mNta.i mNta.n

2nd person singular 2nd person plural mNta.k mNta.tN

3rd person singular 3rd person plural mNta.f mNta.u mNta.s

Use; mNte p.rwme = the man does not (doesn’t) have

© James Kwasi Milton, free use granted with credit to copywriter.

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