Coptic

American  

[kop-tik] / ˈkɒp tɪk /

noun

1. 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.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Coptic or the Copts.

Coptic British  

/ ˈkɒptɪk /

noun

1. 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

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adjective

1. of or relating to this language

2. of or relating to the Copts

Etymology

Origin of Coptic

First recorded in 1670–80; Copt + -ic

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Coptic

Home to more than 115,000 residents, Manshiyet Nasser is a predominantly Coptic Christian neighbourhood nestled beneath the Mokattam hill and facing Cairo's historic Citadel.

From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026

In the next gallery, a 15th-century Quran was displayed alongside a North African Torah and Coptic Christian Bible.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 14, 2026

At the Marmina Coptic Orthodox church, shafts of dusty light shone through holes in a rooftop fresco of Jesus, punctured in the fighting.

From New York Times ● Jun. 5, 2024

The Crosby-Schøyen Codex, written in Coptic script on papyrus in Egypt, dates to between 250-350AD.

From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2024

They spoke for a few minutes in the Coptic tongue, and the alchemist bade the boy enter.

From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

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