DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1167#0035
The major dialects of Coptic are the following:
• Sahidic, the dialect in which most known Coptic texts are written. Soon after the
Bible (or at least major parts of it) had been translated into Sahidic, which is
assumed to have happened roughly around 3ooad (cf. Kahle 1954: I, 269-272), this
dialect became the most widespread variety of Coptic throughout Egypt. Sahidic
thus contributed to the marginalization or elimination of most other dialects during
the following centuries. Beginning in the 9th century, Sahidic was subsequently
challenged by Bohairic which in turn spread as a literary dialect over Egypt as a
whole. Sahidic is, however, attested as late as the 14th century. Since Sahidic is
only known from a time when it was of superregional significance, it is difficult to
assign it to any geographically determined area.
Whereas the preserved texts of all other Coptic dialects are, with a few exceptions,
translations of literary texts (mostly religious in content) from the Greek, Sahidic is
the only dialect which also possesses a considerable corpus of original literature^
and of non-literary texts. The latter frequently show certain deviations from
"standard" Sahidic.
• Bohairic. Although a few Bohairic manuscripts already appear in the 4th century ad,
most texts of this well attested dialect date to a relatively late era (from the 9th
century on). Bohairic is the official liturgical language of today's Coptic church
(D3? § 2.2). It is generally believed that Bohairic originated from Northern Egypt.
Although this is a late dialect, it shows several archaic features in terms of lexicon,
phonology, and morphosyntax which are not found elsewhere.
• Akhmimic. The Akhmimic texts mainly date to back to the 4th and 5th centuries ad.
Subsequently, Akhmimic became extinct, at least as a vehicle of written communi-
cation. Akhmimic is believed to have been localized in the southern part of Egypt.
Its name is derived from the town of Akhmim close to which some texts written in
this variety were found. The retention of the phoneme /x/ in the toponym "Akhmim"
itself is a typical Akhmimic characteristic (KS* §2.2). Akhmimic is considered the
phonetically most archaic of the Coptic dialects.
• Lycopolitan (also: Subakhmimic, Assiutic). In terms of time of attestation and local-
ization, Lycopolitan is comparable to Akhmimic. Lycopolitan and Akhmimic are
very similar, and it seems not improbable that the differences between both dialects
are only graphical in character.
• Fayyumic (Faiyumic). Texts in this dialect are attested from the 3/4th to the 10th
century ad. This dialect is habitually assumed to have been located in the Fayyum, a
geographically isolated area to the West of the Nile. Fayyumic is one of the lesser
researched Coptic dialects.
• Mesokemic (also: Oxyrhynchite), a dialect first described by Kahle (1954: I, 220-
19 The numerous writings of the abbot Shenoute (4th/5th century ad) are the most
famous specimens of native Sahidic literature.
35
• Sahidic, the dialect in which most known Coptic texts are written. Soon after the
Bible (or at least major parts of it) had been translated into Sahidic, which is
assumed to have happened roughly around 3ooad (cf. Kahle 1954: I, 269-272), this
dialect became the most widespread variety of Coptic throughout Egypt. Sahidic
thus contributed to the marginalization or elimination of most other dialects during
the following centuries. Beginning in the 9th century, Sahidic was subsequently
challenged by Bohairic which in turn spread as a literary dialect over Egypt as a
whole. Sahidic is, however, attested as late as the 14th century. Since Sahidic is
only known from a time when it was of superregional significance, it is difficult to
assign it to any geographically determined area.
Whereas the preserved texts of all other Coptic dialects are, with a few exceptions,
translations of literary texts (mostly religious in content) from the Greek, Sahidic is
the only dialect which also possesses a considerable corpus of original literature^
and of non-literary texts. The latter frequently show certain deviations from
"standard" Sahidic.
• Bohairic. Although a few Bohairic manuscripts already appear in the 4th century ad,
most texts of this well attested dialect date to a relatively late era (from the 9th
century on). Bohairic is the official liturgical language of today's Coptic church
(D3? § 2.2). It is generally believed that Bohairic originated from Northern Egypt.
Although this is a late dialect, it shows several archaic features in terms of lexicon,
phonology, and morphosyntax which are not found elsewhere.
• Akhmimic. The Akhmimic texts mainly date to back to the 4th and 5th centuries ad.
Subsequently, Akhmimic became extinct, at least as a vehicle of written communi-
cation. Akhmimic is believed to have been localized in the southern part of Egypt.
Its name is derived from the town of Akhmim close to which some texts written in
this variety were found. The retention of the phoneme /x/ in the toponym "Akhmim"
itself is a typical Akhmimic characteristic (KS* §2.2). Akhmimic is considered the
phonetically most archaic of the Coptic dialects.
• Lycopolitan (also: Subakhmimic, Assiutic). In terms of time of attestation and local-
ization, Lycopolitan is comparable to Akhmimic. Lycopolitan and Akhmimic are
very similar, and it seems not improbable that the differences between both dialects
are only graphical in character.
• Fayyumic (Faiyumic). Texts in this dialect are attested from the 3/4th to the 10th
century ad. This dialect is habitually assumed to have been located in the Fayyum, a
geographically isolated area to the West of the Nile. Fayyumic is one of the lesser
researched Coptic dialects.
• Mesokemic (also: Oxyrhynchite), a dialect first described by Kahle (1954: I, 220-
19 The numerous writings of the abbot Shenoute (4th/5th century ad) are the most
famous specimens of native Sahidic literature.
35