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

Example Sentences

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

There was a hymn sung in Greek by the Coptic Orthodox Diocesan Choir and a carol by the choir of the Syriac Orthodox Church.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025

Labib had to host a church service as Father of St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Bellflower, so after driving the boys to their morning matches, he planned for Sabet’s family to drive them home.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2025

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

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

From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho