Coptic language for beginners 2800-DOKOP
The classes in Coptic are intended for students of archaeology. Coptic was the last stage in the development of the Egyptian language and was used in the Nile valley between 3rd and 11th century. The corpus of written sources, both litarary and documentary, is very extensive, however, the basis for the present course consists are the books of the New Testament. Their difficulty is adjusted to phases of the course.
This basic course aims at teaching stuents the most important problems of the Coptic grammar and vocabulary. The first stage of learning concentrates on acquainting the students with particularities of the language, its spelling and orthography, which is essential for using Coptic dictionaries effectively. In the further phases of the course, the students learn basic grammatical categories typical of Coptic, types of main and subordinate sentences, and the tense system. Subsequent subjects are introduced in form of a grammatical lecture enriched with examples of uses of particular structures in fragments of original texts. The lecture is supplemented with grammatical and translational exercises, performed both during classes and at home. This grammatical character of the course is enriched with information about the history and culture of Coptic Egypt and the context in which Coptic works were written.
To earn the course credit, students have to devote some time to working on their own (doing homeworks and repeating the material), minimum 2,5 hours a week.
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
First of all, students learn the Coptic alphabet which allows them to recognize and read a text in this language. Using the information concerning basic grammatical categories and vocabulary acquired during the course students are able to recognize various types of ancient texts. They also acquire technical skills using dictionaries and grammars, which prepares them for individual work and development of skills in translating, understanding, and interpreting Coptic written sources. The knowledge about the basic methodology of textual analysis allows students to use Coptic sources in archaeological studies. Additionally, gaining information about the cultural context of these sources, students are aware of the significance they have for our knowledge and understanding of the history and culture of Egypt between the 3rd and 11th centuries.
Assessment criteria
Two components make up the final assessment: results of two written tests at the end of each semester (70%) and the participation for the classes (30%). The winter semester ends with a grammatical test, and the summer semester with a translation of a short original text of a low difficulty level.
Three absences are allowed in each semester. Further ones require an oral interview.
Bibliography
Obligatory:
B. Layton, Coptic in 20 Lessons, Leuven – Paris – Dudley 2007
Supplementary:
B. Layton, A Coptic Grammar, Wiesbaden 2004
W. Myszor, Język koptyjski, Warszawa 1998
Dictionaries:
A. Dembska, W. Myszor, Podręczny słownik koptyjsko-polski, Warszawa 1996
W. E. Crum, A Coptic Dictionary, Oxford 1939 (i późniejsze wydania)
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: