This course will focus on a particular Upper Egyptian dialect of Coptic known as Sahidic which is the dialect that is normally taught in academic settings due to the vast amount of texts written in this dialect in comparison to other dialects. In this first lesson, I discuss the etymology of the word "Copt" which ultimately derives from a Kemetic word Hut ka Ptah "The Enclosure of the ka of Ptah," which referred to a vast Temple complex in Memphis which, along with Alexandria, functioned as the administrative capitols during the Greek control of Kemet. I highlight the importance of Memphis in this lesson by referring to the text known as "the Memphite Theology" on the monument of the 25th Dynasty Nubian/Kushite Ruler commonly known as the "Shabaka stone."

This course will be much more than a language course and will attempt to contextualize major features of Kemetic culture as it interacted with Greco-Roman culture before and after the rise of Coptic. We will deeply discuss many texts in this course, especially dealing with issues of religion and spirituality (i.e. translations of Biblical texts, Gnostic texts, the Hermetic corpus, etc.)

The main book that will be used for this course is Thomas Lambdin, Introduction to Sahidic Coptic which will be supplemented by reference to other Coptic grammars as needed. I have attached this book for you in this lesson. This is going to be a long journey, so I also spend some time in this lesson focusing on what I think is an effective method to approach learning this language, with or without note cards, that simply requires very small efforts at daily engagement, preferably immediately before you go to bed to allow the information to slowly but surely consolidate in your mind over time.  

1.  Jacob Carruthers- Memphite Theology in Mdw Ntr
2. Memphite Theology

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In the latter part of this lesson, I introduce some key vocabulary in Greek for the names of Egypt (i.e. Aiguptos), Memphis, and philosophy. I narratively discuss the importance of Theophile Obenga's linguistic intervention on the etymology of the word sophos (i.e. skilled in sciences, learned, profound, wise). Obenga argues that since this word has no known etymology in the Greek language, it is logical to look for one in Egypt since many Greek scholars went to study in Egypt under Egyptian priests, most notably Thales, Pythagoras, and Plato. Obenga offers the Kemetic word seba "to teach, to learn" as the etymology for the word sophos and provides a rich discussion on the historical background of Egyptian-Greek intellectual interaction. I have attached the chapter entitled "The African Origins of Philosophy" from Obenga's book entitled Ancient Egypt and Black Africa (1992). I have also attached a more technical discussion of this etymology in French from his work entitled L'Egypte, La Grece et L'Ecole D'Alexandrie. 

1. Theophile Obenga- The African Origin of Philosophy in Ancient Egypt and Black Africa
2. Hardy Hansen and Gerald Quinn- Introduction in Greek- An Intensive Course
3. Theophile Obenga- Seba as the Kemetic Origin of Greek Sophos in Egypt, Greece, and the Alexandrian School
4. Henry Liddell and Robert Scott- Greek-English Lexicon
5. Walter Crum- Coptic Dictionary

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I begin this lesson with highlighting the simple vowels in the Coptic language and providing illustrative vocabulary principally extracted from the Introduction of Lambdin's grammar book. I particularly focus on the semivowels ei = i and ou = “oo” as in food and demonstrate how these semivowels can combine with a preceding simple vowel to form various diphthongs (i.e. pairs of vowels pronounced together to produce one continuous sound). 

I then shift to explain that the presence of double vowels in a word generally indicates the presence of a glottal stop, i.e. the complete but brief stoppage of airflow in the glottis. I have already introduced the explanation superlinear strokes, but in this lesson I emphasize the following consonants that can commonly show this feature:  

b l m n r

These are known as the "blemner" consonants as an easy way to help you to remember them. I conclude the lesson by explaining a very important grammatical feature of Coptic referred to as "Assimilation," i.e. the alteration of a sound due to its proximity to another sound. In the Coptic language, the final N of prefixal elements (i.e. prepositions, particles, articles) is regularly assimilated to (i.e. changes to) M before p and m

All of the above information is taken from the Introduction to Lambdin’s grammar book. For the next lesson, please review my vocabulary note cards for the Introduction one time each night right before you go to bed. As I indicated in class, I will provide the Answer Key to all exercises in Lambdin’s book for you, but I would like for you to try to acquire as much vocabulary and grammar as possible before you attempt each exercise to test yourself on how much you are able to retain and take note of areas that you need to strengthen. This will be a slow process so take your time. 

1. Herbert Smyth- Greek Grammar- Ancient Greek Pronunciation- Diphthongs

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