2-4 Of: the book of my father You say whose book or child something is.

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To say of, Coptic puts a small word between two nouns, and which word depends on the first noun. After a noun with ⲡⲓ, ϯ or ⲛⲓ it is usually ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ (ⲛ̀ or ⲙ̀ also occurs), and after ⲟⲩ or ϩⲁⲛ it is ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ when the second noun has its own the: ⲡⲓϫⲱⲙ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ is the book of my father, and ϯⲙⲉⲧⲟⲩⲣⲟ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲛⲓⲫⲏⲟⲩⲓ̀ is the kingdom of the heavens.

After a noun with the short the (ⲡ̀, ⲧ̀, ⲫ̀, ⲑ̀) it is usually ⲛ̀ alone (ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ is also possible), and ⲛ̀ becomes ⲙ̀ before ⲃ ⲯ ⲫ ⲡ ⲙ: ⲡ̀ϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲛ̀Ⲇⲁⲩⲓⲇ is the son of David and ⲡ̀ϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲙ̀Ⲫ̀ⲛⲟⲩϯ is the Son of God. After my, your or his it is ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ again: ⲡⲁⲥⲛⲟϥ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ϯⲇⲓⲁⲑⲏⲕⲏ is my blood of the covenant (Matthew 26:28). Between two names it is ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ.

This is the usual pattern of the Bohairic New Testament. Takla's course calls ⲛ̀ and ⲙ̀ the normal link and ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ the special one, yet writes both after ⲡⲓ. Some classroom books write ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ everywhere and call ⲛ̀ and ⲙ̀ short forms of it; you may meet that too.

For more than one, the first noun takes ⲛⲉⲛ- in front of it, and ⲙ̀ or ⲛ̀ follows as before: ⲛⲉⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲙ̀Ⲫ̀ⲛⲟⲩϯ is the sons of God. The New Testament has the same pattern in ⲛⲉⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲥ̀ⲗ, the sons of Israel (Acts 7:23). Younan, Takla, al-Maqari and the diocese course all teach ⲛⲉⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲙ̀Ⲫ̀ⲛⲟⲩϯ.

Words

• ente ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ of (after ⲡⲓ, ϯ, ⲛⲓ, ⲟⲩ, ϩⲁⲛ, my, your, his, and between names)
• en ⲛ̀ of (after ⲡ̀, ⲧ̀, ⲫ̀, ⲑ̀)
• em ⲙ̀ of (the same, before ⲃ ⲯ ⲫ ⲡ ⲙ)
• timetouro ϯⲙⲉⲧⲟⲩⲣⲟ the kingdom
• nifeeowi ⲛⲓⲫⲏⲟⲩⲓ̀ the heavens
• efnoti ⲫ̀ⲛⲟⲩϯ God In church ⲛⲟⲩϯ is said noti.
• David Ⲇⲁⲩⲓⲇ David (a name)
• nen ⲛⲉⲛ- the … of (before a plural noun, as in ⲛⲉⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲙ̀Ⲫ̀ⲛⲟⲩϯ)

Say it

• Pigom ente paiot Ⲡⲓϫⲱⲙ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ the book of my father
• timetouro ente nifeeowi ϯⲙⲉⲧⲟⲩⲣⲟ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲛⲓⲫⲏⲟⲩⲓ̀ the kingdom of the heavens
• epsheeri endavid ⲡ̀ϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲛ̀Ⲇⲁⲩⲓⲇ the son of David
• Etsheri eneerodias ⲧ̀ϣⲉⲣⲓ ⲛ̀Ⲏⲣⲱⲇⲓⲁⲥ the daughter of Herodias
• epsheeri emefnoti ⲡ̀ϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲙ̀Ⲫ̀ⲛⲟⲩϯ the Son of God
• nensheeri emefnoti ⲛⲉⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲙ̀Ⲫ̀ⲛⲟⲩϯ the sons of God