in Arabic because few Egyptians know Greek or Coptic.[1] The language is now quite dead, though one hears doubtfully authentic stories of remote places where Coptic is said to have survived till the 19th century.[2] Even the priests who say the prayers in Coptic often do not understand a word of the language. Most Coptic service books have a parallel Arabic version. The lessons in the liturgy are read first in Coptic, then in Arabic; so their service includes three languages. The survival of the old Egyptian tongue in the liturgy is an astonishing phenomenon. Mr. Butler says well: "The romance of language could go no further than to join the speech of Pharaoh and the writing of Homer in the service-book of an Egyptian Christian."[3]
The Coptic service-books are not clearly defined. The rite for each service is fixed; but various services may be given in different arrangements in various books. This want of recognized compilations (such as our missal, breviary, ritual) is common to most Eastern Churches. However, the usual books are: The Euchologion,[4] containing the celebrant's parts for the liturgies and for other sacraments and blessings; the Diakonikon[5] for the deacon; and the Ḳutmārus,[6] containing lessons for all services. There is sometimes a special Gospel-book. The Synaxarion[7] gives the lessons from lives of saints read in the morning service, and on some occasions in the liturgy (p. 283). The hymns and chants are contained in many collections, those to our Lady in the Theotokia,[8] others in the Difnari[9] and the Doxology. The Psalter, of course, contains the psalms. Then there is a multitude of excerpts and rearrangements. A church will possess, for instance, separate books giving the prayers and rites for ordinations, funerals, confession, baptism, consecration
6 (
Greek characters).
9 (Greek characters).
- ↑ History of the Patriarchs, ed. Evetts, p. 17.
- ↑ In the Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache u. Altertumskunde for 1901 J. E. Quibell wrote an article ("Wann starb das Koptische aus?" p. 87), maintaining that there were villages in which Coptic was still spoken at the end of the 19th century.
- ↑ Ancient Coptic Churches, ii. 247.
- ↑ Ar.: ḫūlāǵī; Copt.: euchologion.
- ↑ Ar.: Kitāb ash-shamāmisah.
- ↑ 6
- ↑ Ar.: sinaksār; Copt.: synaxar.
- ↑ See p. 278.
- ↑ 9
