Morphology of the Article

20
Morphology

The Article

§80. The Definite Article

Singular	masc.	p-, pe-	Plural	n--, ne-
	fem.	t-, te-
In old texts the forms pi-, 5-, ni- are found.

Note: In the New Testament niene6 (for n-ene6) "forever" and 5rhnh (for teirhnh) "the peace"

§81. The article stands immediately before its substantive. When this begins with a vowel or a single consonant the forms p-, t-, n-- are used. E.g., phrp "the wine", pson "the brother", tswne "the sister", n-rwme "the men."

Note: Occasionally before 6, p- and t- become f- and q- (§3), e.g., fwb (p6wb) "the work", qe (t6e) "the way."

Note: Sometimes when the plural article appears before a vowel it loses its sonant function – e.g., nasebhs "the evil doers." n-asebhs also occurs.

§82. pe-. te-, ne- are used

(a) when the substantive begins with a double consonant (m-pexristos) or a consonant followed by a semi-consonant. E.g., pesmot "the form", tes6ime "the woman", ne6bhue "the works", pesouo "the corn", te6ih h h "the way."

Note: When the first letter of a double consonant is ou, the form of the article is determined by the original formation of the word. Thus poumot "the thickness", pourot "the rejoicing." But with other words the article coalesces with ou, e.g., peu6or "the dog", teu4h "the night" (§16).

(b) when the substantive begins with a double consonant, the first of which is functioning as a sonant, e.g., r-pe "the temple" perpe

§83. when the substantive is a word denoting time, e.g., pe6oou "the day", terompe "the year."

§84. The vocative is expressed by means of the Definite Article, e.g., peuwt "O father", ne`po n-ne6boui "O generations of vipers."

§85. The Indefinite Article

Singular masc. and fem. ou- (Construct of oua"one")

Plural masc. and fem. 6en-(Construct of 6oeine "some")

E.g., ourwme "a man", ous6ime "a woman", 6enrwme "men."

Note: With verbal prefix a- and verbal and prepositional prefix and verbal and prepositional prefix and verbal and prepositional prefix e-contraction with the article is usual, e.g., auson bwk (for a-ouson bwk) "a brother went", 3swtm eu4a`e (for 3cwtm e-ou4a`e) "he hears a word."

Note: In carelessly written MSS 6n-- often appears for 6en-.

§86. Uses of the Indefinite Article

With Abstract Nounsoura4e "joy", oume "truth." With the preposition 6n-- "in" it is frequently used to form adverbs (§246), e.g., 6n--oume "truly" (lit. "in a truth"), 6h--oumn-trm-mao"richly" (lit. "in a wealth").

§87. With nouns indicating substance or material, e.g., ounoub mn- oulibanos mn-ou4al "gold and frankincense and myrrh" (Matt. 2.11)

For use with the Infinitive, cf. §245.

§88. Omission of the Article occurs

(1) In Compound words

(a) When a Compound Noun is formed by placing two nouns together, the second noun does not take the article, e.g., 4b-r-6n-6al "fellow servant", na-n-pwt "place of refuge" (§60). Likewise in Compounds in which the second noun is preceded by a preposition, e.g., pbaampe6anobe "the scapegoat" (lit. "the goat with sin."

§89. (b) When a Compound Noun is formed by placing a verbal form before a noun, the noun is without the Article, e.g., sehrp "wine-drinker", psekmoou "the water-drawer", ou6ala26ht "a mild person" (lit. "one who is sweet of heart."

§90. (c) When a Compound Verb is formed by placing a verbal form either directly before a noun, or by linking the two forms indirectly by means of a preposition, the noun does not take the article. E.g.,: Directly r-6ik "to bewitch" (lit. "to make magic"), 5pa6re "to heal" (lit. "to give drugs"). Indirectly 6moos mn- 6ai "to be married" (lit. "to sit with a husband"), eiebol 6n- swma "to die" (lit. "to come out of body").

For a list of verbs used in forming compounds, cf. §177.

§91. (2) In enumerating nouns, especially when the items are connected by 6i, eie,, eite,oude: E.g., noube 6i 6at "gold and silver", eite 6oout eite s6ime, eite no2 eite koui" "both man and woman, both great and small."

§92. (3) In negative sentences and questions expecting a negative answer: E.g., mn- sboui `ose epe3sa6 "There is no disciple higher than his teacher" (Lk. 6.40), mhti 4audeele-eloole ebol 6n--4onte h 4auket3-kn-te ebol 6n--arooue "Are they wont to gather grapes from thorns or are they wont to pluck figs from thistles?" (Matt. 7.16).

§93. (4) In precise adverbial phrases, mostly with preceding preposition: E.g., n-rou6e ""at evening", n-4wrp "at morning", n-kro3 "secretly", e6oun "inwardly."

Note: Without preceding preposition sop "sometimes."

§94. (5) With the nouns which can take suffixes (§38). Definition in such cases is implied by the suffix which is in accord with the following word: E.g., koun3 n-abra6m "the bosom of Abraham" (lit. "his bosom of Abraham"), rwou n-nashbhs "the mouth of the evildoers" (lit. "their mouth of the evildoers")

§95. Note: The Greek words qalassa "sea" and qhbai"s "Thebes" were frequently treated as if they were contracted forms for t6alassa and t6hbais, and the intitial twas mistaken for the fem. Definite Article. Hence the form n-6alassa "the seas." However, the correct forms teqalassa and neqalassa do occur.

Likewise r-ro "king" is really pr-ro (old pr‘3, the "Pharoah" of the Bible). The initial p- was mistaken for the masc. Definite Article. Hence a plural form nerrwou "the kings" (§66).

§96. Apposition. The word in apposition follows the noun which it enlarges, and always takes the Definite Article: E.g.,

hsaias peprofhths "Isaiah the Prophet.",

petros prwme m-pnoute "Peter, the man of God."

Note: Where the word in apposition is a Proper Name, it is introduced by the particle `e- "namely, that is to say", e.g.,

oua `e apa paulos "one (namely) apa Paulos."

The Genitive

§97. The oldest construction of the genitive was formed by placing the noun of possession, in the Construct Form, before the noun of the possessor, in the Absolute Form. This construction had almost disappeared in Coptic. The few remaining examples of this construction are the Compound Nouns (§59ff).

§98. The usual construction is by linking the noun indicating possession to the noun indicating the possessor by means of the particle n-, e.g.,

t2i` n-ourwme "the hand of a man,
tmn-tero nm-phue "the kingdom of the heavens",
p4hre n-pnoute "the son of God."

This construction is also widely used in the formation of phrases equivalent to adjectives (§101).

§99. In the place of n-, the particle n-te- is used:

(1) When the noun indicating the possession has the Indefinite Article, e.g.,

oumnh4e n-tetpolis

"a multitude of the city",

oupneuma n-tepnoute
"a spirit of God"
Note that this particle can take suffixes: n-ta=, e.g.,

ouson n-ta3 "a brother of his",

ouswne n-tethutn- "a sister of yours."

Note: When the genitival construction is used as an equivalent for an adjective, especially when describing substance, material or type, even though the noun indicating possession has the Definite Article, the particle n- is used. E.g., oumappa n-4n-s "a cloth of linen", oumaniakhs n-6hs "a necklace of silver", ou4hre n-ouwt "an only son."

(2) nte is used as the genitive between two Proper Names, e.g., bhqleem nte 5oudaia "Bethlehem of Judaea."

§100. (3) nte is used when the noun indicating the possession is qualified by an adjective or a phrase equivalent to an adjective, e.g.,

si4e nim n-te pponhros

"all the bitterness of depravity",

ou4hre n-ouwt n-te te3maau
"an only son of his mother",

pran m-p4r-n-ouwt n-tepnoute
"the name of the only Son of God."

Note: After the adjective thr "all", the genitive is as a rule n-, e.g., m-mn-terwou throu m-pkosmos "all the kingdoms of the world."

44
The Adjective

§101. There are few true adjectives. This is due to the fact that the old form of the language was rich in adjective-verbs, as well as the fact that even transitive verbs could express the idea of a condition arising as a result of an action performed, by means of the old Perspective Form of the verb (In Coptic preserved in the Qualitative (§141)). Generally speaking the adjective is expressed in Coptic by means of a relative clause or by substantives linked together by the genitival n- (less frequently the noun and its qualifying substantive are in direct apposition), e.g.,

6wb nim "everything" (noun and true adjective)

pran etouaab⁶ "the name which is holy", i.e., "the holy name" (noun + relative clause)
ksour n-noub "ring of gold", i.e., "a golden ring" (noun-n--noun)

§102. True adjectives are mostly invariable in number and gender, e.g., alau "white", as or apas "old", bwwn "evil", brre "new, young", koui" "little", nim "every", nou` "lying", no2 "great", ouwt "single", 4hm "little", 6ak "sober", 6a6 "many", 6oout "male."

§103. However, adjectives ending in e generally form the fem. in h, e.g., sabe, sabh "wise", 6ae, 6ah "last."

Note: 4ire "small" shows fem. 4eere, o "great" fem. w.

§104. Position of the adjective in relation to its noun. At first sight the syntax of the true adjective seems confusing and illogical. But if it is borne in mind that even the few true adjectives were felt to be in the nature of substantives, the apparent confusion is accounted for.

§105. The adjective is placed immediately after the noun it qualifies which is in the Absolute Form. E.g., 6wb nim "everything", rwme nim "all men." This is always the usage with nim. It is a usage much less frequent with other adjectives. Examples which may be quoted are 4hre 4hm "little son" (and fem. 4eere 4hm), ou6oou ouwt "a single day", etc.

§106. But note that the noun appears in its Construct Form when it precedes one of the following Adjectives: o "great", 4ire "little", nou3e "good", bwwn "evil", 6oout "male". E.g., eier o "river" (lit. "great canal"), rm-p 4ire "famine" (lit. "year of little"), s5 bwwn "evil smell", 4r- 6oout "male child."

§107. The adjective follows its noun but is linked to it by n-. This is the most usual construction, e.g., pe34hre n-ouwt "his only son", neprofhths n-ou` "the lying prophets."

In point of fact the adjective is treated as if it were a noun, and as such follows the normal construction used to form adjective equivalents, i.e., noun n-noun. E.g., 4a`e n-4lo3 "shameful saying" (lit. "saying of shame"), bw n-`oeit "olive tree" (lit. "tree of olive").

§108. But note: The adjective can also stand before its noun. This is especially common in the cse of no2 and 6a6 – e.g., ouno2 n-ipnon "a great supper". 6a6 n-6ise "much suffering", pe3merit n-son "his beloved brother", ou4hm n-ne6 "a little oil."

§109. Concord. Where masc. and fem. forms of the adjective exist, they agree in gender with their noun, e.g., t4eere n-sabe "the wise daughter."

Note: Greek adjectives follow their noun and usually show the masc. for persons, and neuter form for things, e.g., ourwme n-dikaios "a righteous man", neyuxooue n-teleion "the perfect souls."

§110. The three adjectives thr= "all", ouaa= , "alone, self", mauaa= , "alone, own" follow their noun and take suffixes in accord. E.g., pkosmos thr3- "all the world", ntowtn- thrtn- "you all", n-tak ouaak "thou alone", pe3rou`ai mauaa3 "his own salvation"

§111. ke "other" is a construct form which stands before its noun, e.g., kerwme "another man", ke6wb "another thing." But note the plural is 6enkerwme "other men", 6enke6bhue "other things"

Note the use of ke in the adverbial phrase n-kesop "again" (lit. "in another time") (§283).

§112. ke combines with oua and laau to form the substantive "another", e.g., keoua, kelaau. This form can take the Definite Article or the Demonstrative Pronoun, e.g., pkeoua or peikeoua "the other'. It can also be linked to a following noun by the particle n-, e.g., pkeoua n-rwme "the other man", tkeouei n-rompe "the other year."

§113. When ke stands directly before a noun and is itself preceded by the Definite Article or Possessive Article, it conveys the meaning "also" , e.g., pkerwme "the man also", tkerwmpe "the year also", pakeeiwt "my father also."

Note: ke is rarely used in the absolute form as a substantive, e.g., pei"keor tei"ke "this other", though a plural form kooue is fairly commonly used, e.g., 6enkooue "others", n-kooueor nei"kooue "the others."

§114. Comparison. Special forms of the adjective to express the comparitive or superlative do not exist in Coptic. The comparative is expressed by means of the

preposition e- or ero= (§261), e.g., peto n-no2 epr-pe "one who (is) greater than the temple" (Matt. 12.6), 3`oor eroi"he (is) stronger than I."

§115. The Superlative is sometimes expressed by the use of the adverb emate or

m-mate "very much" placed after the adjective, e.g., outoou e3`ose emate "a very high mountain" (lit. "a mountain which (is) very high").

But frequently the context alone can decide whether or not a superlative meaning is implied, cf. Matt. 18.1 where the Coptic pno2 6ntmntero nmphue "the great one in the kingdom of the heavens" represents the Greek

mei/zwn . . . e)n th| basilei/a| tw~n ou)ranw~n.


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