Coptic Sahidic Resources

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tomispev
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Coptic Sahidic Resources

Post by tomispev »

Here I'd like to share a few resources I often use in my study of Sahidic Coptic. I'll probably be adding more over time.

Dictionaries
Coptic Dictionary Online

Textbooks
Coptic Beginner's Notes
Introduction to Sahidic Coptic (1983) by Thomas O. Lambdin
Coptic in 20 Lessons (2007) by Bentley Layton

Texts
Coptic Scriptorium; all words are linked to the Coptic Dictionary Online
An Interlinear Coptic-English Translation of The Gospel of Thomas
Coptic Magical Papyri
Coptic Apocrypha, Martyrdoms, and Homilies by E. A. Wallis Budge
Coptica; links to files of many out of copyright editions of Coptic texts; the site is in French

big_anemone
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Re: Coptic Sahidic Resources

Post by big_anemone »

Thank you for posting this. I'm on an extended break from Coptic, trying to figure out my way back in, starting in another 6-12 months (after I meet some Greek goals). This is all very helpful. My current plan is to go through all of Lambdin followed by Layton's Coptic Gnostic Chrestomathy, but even if that plan is viable your post provides a wealth of supplemental resources.

tomispev
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Re: Coptic Sahidic Resources

Post by tomispev »

Before you get into Layton's Coptic Gnostic Chrestomathy, I recommend you read this review of his English translation of the same texts in The Gnostic Scriptures, by Daniel McBride. Layton's choice of text, translation and interpretation have some serious issues.

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Dante
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Re: Coptic Sahidic Resources

Post by Dante »

you're missing one of the most important ones:

https://youtube.com/channel/UCjLuQOYWne-pi9MmIf2T8JA

has videos of a complete course using Lambdin's textbook and another course based on Allen's Coptic Grammar.

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Barry Hofstetter
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Re: Coptic Sahidic Resources

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Dante wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 1:41 am you're missing one of the most important ones:

https://youtube.com/channel/UCjLuQOYWne-pi9MmIf2T8JA

has videos of a complete course using Lambdin's textbook and another course based on Allen's Coptic Grammar.
Thanks all for positing these. I put my Coptic study on hold because (at my age) I started a Ph.D. in Latin literature at U of FL Gainsville. But with these resources I'm seriously tempted to carve out the time. I wonder why the course above calls it "Saidic" when the rest of the world writes Sahidic?
N.E. Barry Hofstetter

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tomispev
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Re: Coptic Sahidic Resources

Post by tomispev »

Barry Hofstetter wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 7:19 pmI wonder why the course above calls it "Saidic" when the rest of the world writes Sahidic?
Because Dr. Casey insists on using "Saidic", which is a rare but acceptable rendition of the Arabic ṣaꜥīdī, and he argues that dropping Ayin <ꜥ> rather than transcribing it with a <h> makes more sense. I personally prefer the older term "Thebaic", but I use "Sahidic" so I don't get curious questions from the uninitiated.

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Barry Hofstetter
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Re: Coptic Sahidic Resources

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

tomispev wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 1:09 pm
Barry Hofstetter wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 7:19 pmI wonder why the course above calls it "Saidic" when the rest of the world writes Sahidic?
Because Dr. Casey insists on using "Saidic", which is a rare but acceptable rendition of the Arabic ṣaꜥīdī, and he argues that dropping Ayin <ꜥ> rather than transcribing it with a <h> makes more sense. I personally prefer the older term "Thebaic", but I use "Sahidic" so I don't get curious questions from the uninitiated.
Ah, but it is by such questions that they cease to be uninitiated... :)
N.E. Barry Hofstetter

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tomispev
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Re: Coptic Sahidic Resources

Post by tomispev »

Barry Hofstetter wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:28 pmAh, but it is by such questions that they cease to be uninitiated... :)
No they don't.

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Re: Coptic Sahidic Resources

Post by big_anemone »

I recently picked up Coptic again, after a lapse of several years.

Specific to this thread, I have one resource to add.

There is a Coptic Bible app available for Apple devices https://apps.apple.com/us/app/coptic-bible/id1555182007, which has been really useful for me. Not only does it let one navigate through the Sahidic or Bohairic bibles, but it has straightforward access to showing different texts in parallel. In my case, I read the Sahidic gospels side by side with the Greek. I like having the text in an app, rather than always needing to navigate the UI of the Coptic Scriptorium, and although it’s great to click through to an English definition on the Coptic Scriptorium website, it’s also great to have an easy way to try to puzzle out the Coptic text using a parallel Greek text.

The text is based on Horner. Words are broken up differently than they are on the Coptic Scriptorium or on the Sahidica text. I like the app’s version better most of the time, because it includes the superlinear strokes.

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