Q&A Home > C > Coptic Language

What does 'Coptic' exactly mean?

The word Coptic is derived from the Greek word "Aigyptos", a derivative from Hikaptah, and a name synonymous with Memphis, the first Capitol of Egypt. Over the years, Egyptian Christian ethnicity and identity became known as Qibt (Arabic)—Copt or Coptic (Kyptos in Coptic). A systematic campaign to extinguish the Coptic language began around the 6th century, after the Muslim invasion, until about the 13th century. Coptic, as a language, was preserved by some families, but mainly used in the church and in the Divine Liturgies.