Coptic Alphabet
The Coptic alphabet consists of 32 letters derived from Greek with additional letters from Demotic Egyptian script.
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About the Coptic Alphabet
The Coptic alphabet is the script used for writing the Coptic language, the last stage of the Egyptian language. It consists of 24 letters from the Greek alphabet plus 6-8 additional letters from Demotic Egyptian to represent sounds not found in Greek. The script is still used today in the Coptic Orthodox Church.
History
The Coptic alphabet developed in the 2nd century CE as Christianity spread in Egypt. It was created to write the Egyptian language using Greek letters, supplemented with Demotic characters for uniquely Egyptian sounds. The script enabled the translation of the Bible into Egyptian and became the liturgical script of Egyptian Christianity.
Key Features
- Written from left to right
- 32 letters (24 Greek + 8 Demotic)
- Derived from Greek alphabet
- Includes Egyptian Demotic letters
- Used in Coptic Orthodox Church
- Last stage of Egyptian language