Coptic

[ kop-tik ]

/ ˈkɒp tɪk /

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noun

an Afroasiatic language of Egypt descended from ancient Egyptian, largely extinct as a spoken language since the 16th century but surviving as the liturgical language of the Coptic Church.

adjective

of or relating to Coptic or the Copts.

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Origin of Coptic

First recorded in 1670–80; Copt + -ic

Words nearby Coptic

cops and robbers, copse, cop shop, Copt, copter, Coptic, Coptic Church, co-publish, copula, copulate, copulation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Coptic in a sentence

The fragment is written in Coptic, not Greek, and is not actually from the Bible, as the title would indicate.
Dismembering History: The Shady Online Trade in Ancient Texts|Candida Moss|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He tentatively suggested that the text is a pastiche compiled by a modern forger with an elementary grasp of Coptic.
The ‘Gospel of Jesus’s Wife’ is Still as Big a Mystery as Ever|Candida Moss|April 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pharaonic scenes, Muslim symbols, poetry, and Coptic icons—great vivid murals bloomed onto the walls.
Ahdaf Soueif’s Cairo: Remembering A City Wracked By The Arab Spring|Ahdaf Soueif|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I met him at the Coptic Hospital when I went to visit the Maspero injured.
Ahdaf Soueif’s Cairo: Remembering A City Wracked By The Arab Spring|Ahdaf Soueif|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri accused Coptic Pope Tawadros II of wanting to establish a Coptic state in Egypt.
The Holy Land’s Endangered Christians|Jamie Dettmer|January 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Zoëga busied himself greatly with Egypt, and in inaugurating the study of Coptic prepared the way for Champollion.
A history of art in ancient Egypt, Vol. I (of 2)|Georges Perrot
The name is derived from an abandoned Coptic convent which existed among the ruins of the ancient building.
A history of art in ancient Egypt, Vol. I (of 2)|Georges Perrot
Christianity was introduced during the Roman period, and the Coptic Church established.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
The practice of the Coptic church is almost identical with this.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2|Various
The Coptic nearly resembles the Hottentot language, a good many roots and some words being the same in both.
Hair-Breadth Escapes|H.C. Adams

British Dictionary definitions for Coptic

Coptic

/ (ˈkɒptɪk) /

noun

an Afro-Asiatic language, written in the Greek alphabet but descended from ancient Egyptian. It was extinct as a spoken language by about 1600 ad but survives in the Coptic Church

adjective

of or relating to this language

of or relating to the Copts

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012