Ramez Mikhail
posted on Jul 04, 2003 - 04:37 AM
Exactly how many dialects are there in the Coptic language?
like any other language, the Coptic language at its zenith had many different dialects. There is the Bohairic dialect, the Sa'idic dialect, the Fayiumic dialect, the Akhmimic dialect and the Sub-Akhmimic dialect.
There are many differences between these different dialects as far as vocabulary, pronunication and even usage in Ancient Egypt. Without getting into much detail about the differences, we can say that Coptic dialects and uses are as varied as those in any other language, like Spanish, French, etc.
Which dialect does the Coptic church use for services, then?
The modern day Coptic church uses an improvised form of the Bohairic dialect, more specifically called Greco-Bohairic. This dialect, which has been spreading rapidly throughout the 20th century, is proven to be the easiest to grasp and pronounce. It has been standardised in the 19th century as the standard Coptic dialect for the Coptic church in the time of Pope Cyril IV with the assistance of Professor Erian Moftah.
Modern day church leadership still recognizes the improvisation and decisions of Pope Cyril IV who is also known for his hard work in improving the church's cultural and educational state in the 19th century. This recognition is obvious when we consider the fact that almost ALL Coptic churches today throughout the world use this standardised dialect. It is also stated in a reply sent to us by His Grace Bishop Youssef, Bishop of the Diocese of the Southern United States:
The peace of the Lord be with you.
Any langauge goes through stages and this is very acceptable. It happened with Arabic and English languages. As we don't change the English or the Arabic to use archaic words or pronunciation, in the same way we should not change the Coptic to use Old Bohairic.
God bless you
BY
Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
In accordance with His Grace's reply and the overall opinion of the church's Pope, Holy Synod, Clerical College and Higher Institute of Coptic Studies, and as faithful servants and representatives of our church in the United States and all other countries, we here respect and faithfully practice the church's order in our prayers and praises.
May God have mercy on us and always keep for us our faithful and enlightened fathers, the church's authority.
R. Mikhail
Oghnostos and coptichymns.net Forum Administrator
