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{{ethnic group|
|group=Copts<br> rem`nkymi <br>Αἰγύπτιος
|image=[[Image:
|poptime=
|popplace=[[Egypt]], [[Australia]], [[US]], [[EU]],
|rels=[[Coptic
|langs=[[Coptic language|Coptic]]
|related=[[Ancient Egyptians]], [[Amazigh]]
}}
'''The Copts''' (Coptic: rem`nkymi; Greek Αἰγύπτιος; Arabic qubṭi قبطي) are the direct descendants of the [[Ancient Egyptians]]{{fact}} who adhere today to the [[Christianity|Christian religion]]. Copts are therefore pre-[[Arab]] and pre-[[Islam|Islamic]] Egyptians. Copts are identified as a native and unique ethno-religious group of [[Egypt]].
The word ''Copt'' was first used by the [[Arabs|Arab invaders]] of [[Egypt]] in the 7th century to denote all [[Egyptians]]. With time, as most [[Egyptians]] converted to [[Islam]], the religion brought by the [[Arabs]], the term ''Copt'' became exclusive to those [[Egyptians]] who remained [[Christian]] and did not intermarry with the [[Arabs]]. Thus, Copts are not [[Arabs]]; neither are the Egyptians who changed only their religion but not their ethnic and cultural identity, as once before they changed their religion to Christianity without ceasing to be "the direct descendants of the [[Ancient Egyptians]]" who certainly were not Christian.
Most Copts (more than 95%) are members of the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]]{{fact}}, an [[Oriental Orthodox]] church that traces its foundation back to [[Saint Mark|Saint Mark the Evangelist]] in the first century AD. Other Copts belong to the [[Coptic Catholic Church]] or to various Coptic [[Protestant]] denominations. Other Christian minorities in [[Egypt]], such as members of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Melkite Greek Orthodox Church]] or the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]] are mostly descendants of recent immigrants rather than native Egyptians. Thus, the term ''Copt'' cannot be used to refer to them.
The number of Copts in [[Egypt]] has been subject to some controversy. Coptic sources put forward figures ranging from 14% to 20% (between 10 and 15 million), but the Egyptian government insists that the Copts represent about 6% (4 million) of the Egyptian population. Part of the controversy could be attributed to the increasing number of Copts born outside [[Egypt]] and who do not carry Egyptian passports. The number of Copts within [[Egypt]] may be very slowly declining due to higher immigration rates caused by harassment and discrimination at the hands of [[Islamism|Islamist]] militants and the Egyptian government, as well as lower birth rates compared to [[Muslims]]. The 2006 [[The World Factbook|World Factbook]] estimates that 7.6 million or 10% of [[Egyptians]] are [[Christian]].<ref> https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html#People CIA World Factbook. Egyptian people section].</ref> Regardless of their exact number, Copts represent the largest indigenous Christian community in the [[Middle East]].
Egyptian Copts have occasionally been on the receiving end of violent acts from Islamic extremist groups. Copts have leveled the accusation that the Egyptian government has sometimes been complicit or uncaring in the face of such incidents.
The term ''Copt'' has been historically used as to include [[Ethiopian]] and [[Eritrea|Eritrean]] Christians. This is however is misnomer caused by the fact that the churches of [[Ethiopia]] and [[Eritrea]] are daughter churches of the [[Church of Alexandria|Egyptian Church]]. Nevertheless, the term ''Copt'' should be only used to refer to the Egyptian Christians.
==Historical Background and Origins==
{{main|Coptic Orthodox Church}}
[[image:DB001324.jpg|150px|left|thumb|4 century Coptic cross]]
Copts are considered as direct descendents of [[Ancient Egypt]]ians, whose earliest recorded history dates back to 3050 B.C. Egyptian society and culture thrived for thousands of years, surviving several Pharaonic dynasties and numerous foreign occupations and rules. [[Ancient Egypt]]ians converted from polytheism to [[Christianity]] in the first century A.D. through the evangelism of [[Saint Mark]].
[[image:StMarkcoptic.jpg|250px|thumb|Coptic icon of St Mark]]
The [[Church of Alexandria|Egyptian Church]] is the oldest church in [[Africa]] and one of the earliest churches in the world. By the 3rd century A.D., Christians constituted the majority of [[Egypt]]’s population, and the [[Church of Alexandria]] was recognized as one of [[Christendom]]'s leading churches. The [[Church of Alexandria|Egyptian Church]] played a leading role in the first three ecumenical councils, as well as in the development of early Christian theology, monasticism, and evangelism. Following the schism between the [[Church of Alexandria]] and most of the other churches after the [[Council of Chalcedon]], the importance of [[Egypt]]'s native church within the [[Christianity|Christian]] worl began to decrease.
In 641 A.D., [[Muslim]] [[Arabs]] invaded [[Egypt]] and began a centuries-long process of ethnic and cultural assimilation, converting, intermarrying with, and absorbing large segments of the [[Egypt]]ian population into the [[Arab]]-[[Islamic]] culture. Successive [[Arab]] and [[Ottoman]] Islamic dynasties levied a punitive tax ([[jizia]]) against the [[Egyptians]] who wished to maintain their Christian heritage through endogamous marriage. Several of these regimes instituted policies to eradicate the Egyptian culture and language and initiated violence against the indigenous, non-Arabized population. [[Arab]] and [[Turkish]] ruling dynasties referred to these [[Egypt]]ian "hold-outs" against [[Arab]] cultural dominance as ''aqbat'' or “Copts,” the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] version of the earlier Greek term ("aigyptos") for [[Egypt]]. Although in contemporary usage, the word “Copt” is synonymous with Egyptian Christians, the words Copt and Egyptian are identical in meaning.
Under the leadership of [[Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria|Pope Shenouda III]], the 117th successor of [[Saint Mark]], the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]] members today constitute the majority of the Coptic population. Mainly through emigration and partly through European, American, and other missionary work and conversions, the Egyptian Christian community now also includes other Christian denominations such as [[Protestants]] (known in Arabic as ''Evangelicals''), [[Catholic]] and [[Eastern Rite Catholic]]s, and other [[Christian Orthodoxy|Orthodox]] congregations. The term Coptic remains exclusive however to the Egyptian natives, as opposed to the Christians of non-Egyptian origins. Some Protestant churches for instance are called "Coptic Evangelical Church", thus helping differentiate their native Egyptian congregations from churches attended by non-Egyptian immigrant communities such as Europeans or Americans.
==Coptic Religion==
{{main|Coptic Christians}}
[[image:
The [[Coptic Christians|Coptic Orthodox Church]] is the oldest form of Christianity in Africa and one of the earliest forms of Christianity in the world.
[[image:StPiterandRamses.jpg|250px|thumb|St. Peter stands over an altar in the sanctuary of Ramses II's temple at Wadi es-Sebua]]
The legacy that St. Mark left in Egypt was a Christian community made up primarily of converted hellenized Jews. Christianity remained eclipsed by the powerful Jewish community in Alexandria at the time. After the Jewish Revolt in the first quarter of the second century AD. and subsequent annihilation of the Jews in Alexandria, the Christians of Egypt became visible to the world. By the 3rd century A.D., Christians constituted the majority of Egypt’s population, and the Church of Alexandria was recognized as one of Christendom’s lead churches. Under the leadership of [[Pope Shenouda III]], the 117th successor of Saint Mark, Coptic Orthodox Church members today constitute the majority of the Coptic population.
Through European, American, and other missionary work and conversions, the ethnic Coptic population of Egypt now also includes large numbers of other Christian denominations such as Protestants (known in Arabic as Evangelicals), Roman and Eastern Rite Catholics, and other Orthodox congregations. Some Protestant churches are titled "[[optic Evanglical Church]], thus helping differentiate their native Egyptian congregations from churches attended by non-Egyptian immigrant communities such as Europeans or Americans.
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==Language and Culture==
{{main|Coptic language}}
[[image:Bibliacopt.jpg|200px|thumb|Coptic Language Hymn Book]]
Coptic language ( ''Bohairic'': tiaspi enremenkimi; ''Sahidic'': temet enremenkimi, "the language of the people of Egypt"), is the descendent of the [[Egyptian language|ancient Egyptian language]].
Definition:
:The Coptic Language is the name used to refer to the last stage of the written ''Egyptian language. Coptic should more correctly be used to refer to the script rather than the language itself. Even though this script was introduced as far back as the 2nd century BC., it is usually applied to the writing of the Egyptian language from the first century AD. to the present day''.<ref>Hany N. Takla, History of Copt Language, http://www.stshenouda.com/coptlang.htm </ref>
The Coptic Language is the fourth and last step of evolution of the Ancient Egyptian language, after [[Hieroglyphs]], [[Heratic]] and [[Demotic]]. All four are identical and differ only in their system of writing. Coptic, just as Ancient Egyptian, is a [[Hamito-semitic]] language, similar to many North African languages and with few similarities to [[semitic languages]]. Its alphabet is derived from the [[Greek alphabet]], with seven extra unique letters that represent sounds peculiar to the Egyptian language and non-existent in Greek.
Coptic remained as the language of native ancient Egyptians until the Arab invasion of Egypt in 641 AD. After the Arab invasion, Copts were harassed and forced to abandon their native language for [[Arabic]]. For a number of centuries Copts remained bilingual but by the thirteenth century, they gradually became mainly Arabic speakers. Coptic remained however the liturgical language of the Coptic Church. Today, Copts have demands to teach the native language of their country in public schools, but due to the strong Islamic orientation of the Arab-Egyptian society prevents any alteration to the educational systems. Few families in Egypt and many in the diaspora all over the world have recently adopted Coptic as their native language, and many Coptic schools and universities have been lately inaugurated in North America, Australia and Europe. Coptic Language is also taught worldwide in many prestigious institutions, but in Egypt it is only confined to Coptic schools and to the [[American University in Cairo]].
Dialects of Coptic language:
*[[Sahidic]]: can be either [[Thebban]] or [[upper Egyptian]] from 4th BC and also concered as [[Classic Coptic]].
*[[Bohairic]]: The dialect of the Nile delta and of the Coptic Church.
*[[Akhmimic]]
*[[Lycopolitan]](also known as [[Subakhmimic]])
*[[Fayyumic]]
==Etymology==
The English word ''Copt'' is from [[New Latin]] ''Coptus'', which is derived from [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''qubṭi'' قبطي (pl: qubṭ قبط and aqbāṭ أقباط), an Arabisation of the [[Coptic language|Coptic]] word ''kubti'' ([[Coptic language#Bohairic|Bohairic]]) and/or ''kuptaion'' ([[Coptic language#Sahidic|Sahidic]]). The Coptic itself is derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word {{lang|grc|Αἰγύπτιος}}, ''aiguptios'': "Egyptian", from {{lang|grc|Αἰγύπτος}}, ''aiguptos'': "Egypt".
{{Template:Hiero | ''Hut-ka-Ptah'' | <hiero>p:t-H-Hwt-t:pr-kA:Z1-t:niwt</hiero> | align=right | era=default}}
The Greek term for "Egypt" has a long history. It goes back to the [[Mycenaean language]] (an early form of Greek) where the word ''a<sub>3</sub>-ku-pi-ti-jo'' (lit. "Egyptian"; used here as a man's name) was written in [[Linear B]]. This Mycenaean form is likely from [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] ''ḥwt-k3-ptḥ'' ("Hut-ka-Ptah"), literally "Estate (or 'House') of [[Ptah]]" (cf. [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] ''<sup>ālu</sup>ḫi-ku-up-ta-aḫ''), the name of the temple complex of the god [[Ptah]] at [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]]. As the chief temple precinct of the capital of Egypt, the name was applied to the entire city of Memphis and ultimately to the country as a whole.
A similar situation is observed in the name ''Memphis'' [Greek Μέμφις], which comes from the Egyptian name of the [[Egyptian pyramids|pyramid]] complex of [[Pharaoh|king]] [[Pepi II Neferkare|Pepi II]], ''mn nfr ppy'' (lit. "Established in Perfection or 'Beauty' is Pepy") at [[Saqqara]] but which was applied to the nearby capital city. Interestingly, this usage survived in Sahidic as ''Gupton'' and ''Kupton'', meaning "Memphis". In modern [[Egyptian Arabic]], the local name of the capital [[Cairo]] is ''Masr'' (Egyptian Arabic مَصر), which is also the name of Egypt as a whole.
There is another theory which states that the Arabic word ''qibṭ'' "Copt" was an Arabisation of the Greek name of the town of Κόπτος ''[[Coptos]]'' (modern قفط ''Qifṭ''; Coptic ''Kebt'' and ''Keft''), but is generally no longer accepted.
[[image:MY007218.jpg|250px|thumb|Coptic priest]]
References to ''Copts'' in the [[Coptic language]] are both Greek and Coptic in origin. The words ''kuptaion'' (Sahidic) and ''kubti'' (Bohairic) are attested, but are used in the surviving texts to refer to the language, rather than the people; these both derive from Greek Αἴγύπτιος ''aiguptios'' "Egyptian". The "native" Coptic term referring to ''Copts'' was ''rem en kēme'' (Sahidic), ''lem en kēmi'' ([[Coptic language#Fayyumic|Fayyumic]]), ''rem en khēmi'' (Bohairic), etc., literally "people of Egypt"; cf. [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] ''rmṯ n kmt'', [[Demotic Egyptian|Demotic]] ''rmt n kmỉ''.
==Usage==
''Coptic'' has become a contemporary reference pertaining to [[Egyptian Christianity]] (particularly the Orthodox branch), its culture, and its followers, who previously included [[Ethiopian]] and [[Eritrea]]n Christians before the separation of their churches. It also refers to the last phase of the [[Coptic language|Egyptian language]] and its written [[Coptic alphabet|alphabet]] which are still employed by the [[Coptic Church]]. The [[etymology|etymological]] meaning of the word, however, pertains to all people of Egyptian origins, not only those who profess Coptic (Egyptian) Christian Orthodoxy. Medieval writers until the [[Mamluk]] period often used the words Copts (Arabic: قبط) and Egyptians (Arabic: مصريون) interchangeably to describe all the people of Egypt whether Christian or Muslim. After the bulk of the Egyptian population converted to [[Islam]], the word Copt came to be associated more commonly with Egyptians who remained Christian. In the [[20th century]], some Egyptian nationalists and intellectuals began using the term Copts in the historical sense. For example, Markos Pasha Semeika, founder of the [[Coptic Museum]], addressed a group of Egyptian students in these words: "All of you are Copts. Some of you are Muslim Copts, others are Christian Copts, but all of you are descended from the ancient Egyptians." (qtd. in M. Hussein. ''el Ittigahat el Wataneyya fil Adab el Muʻaṣir'' [National Trends in Modern Literature]. Vol. 2. Cairo. 1954). However, most Egyptian Muslims today are more likely to identify simply as Egyptian.
==Coptic Calendar==
[[image:DWF15-342039.jpg|300px|thumb|Copts in Egypt]]
The '''Coptic calendar''', also called the '''Alexandrian calendar''', is used by the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]] and as the official calendar of [[Ethiopia]] . This [[calendar]] is based on the ancient [[Egyptian calendar]]. To avoid the calendar creep of the latter, a reform of the ancient Egyptian calendar was introduced at the time of [[Ptolemy III]] (Decree of Canopus, in [[238 BC]]) which consisted of the intercalation of a sixth epagomenal day every fourth year. However, this reform was opposed by the Egyptian priests, and the idea was not adopted until [[25 BC]], when the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] Emperor [[Augustus]] formally reformed the calendar of [[Egypt]], keeping it forever synchronized with the newly introduced [[Julian calendar]]. To distinguish it from the Ancient Egyptian calendar, which remained in use by some astronomers until medieval times, this reformed calendar is known as the Coptic calendar. Its years and months coincide with those of the [[Ethiopian calendar]] but have different numbers and names.
===Coptic year===
The Coptic year is the extension of the ancient Egyptian civil year, retaining its subdivision into the three seasons, four months each. The three seasons are commemorated by special prayers in the Coptic Liturgy. This calendar is still in use all over Egypt by farmers to keep track of the various agricultural seasons. The Coptic calendar has 13 months, 12 of 30 days each and an intercalary month at the end of the year of 5 or 6 days, depending whether the year is a leap year or not. The year starts on [[29 August]] in the [[Julian Calendar]] or on the 30th in the year before (Julian) Leap Years. The Coptic Leap Year follows the same rules as the Julian Calendar so that the extra month always has six days in the year before a Julian Leap Year.
The Feast of [[Neyrouz]] marks the first day of the Coptic year. Its celebration falls on the 1st day of the month of [[Thout]], the first month of the Coptic year, which for AD 1901 to 2098 usually coincides with [[11 September]], except before a Gregorian leap year when it's [[September 12]]. Coptic years are counted from AD 284, the year [[Diocletian]] became Roman Emperor, whose reign was marked by tortures and mass executions of Christians, especially in Egypt. Hence, the Coptic year is identified by the abbreviation A.M. (for ''Anno Martyrum'' or "Year of the Martyrs"). The A.M. abbreviation is also used for the unrelated Jewish year (''Anno Mundi'').
Every fourth Coptic year is a leap year ''without exception'', as in the Julian calendar, so the above mentioned new year dates apply only between AD [[1900]] and 2099 inclusive in the Gregorian Calendar. In the Julian Calendar, the new year is ''always'' [[29 August]], except before a Julian leap year when it's [[August 30]]. [[Easter]] is reckoned by the Julian Calendar in the Old Calendarist way.
To obtain the Coptic year number, subtract from the Julian year number either 283 (before the Julian new year) or 284 (after it).
''See also'': [[Computus]]
===Coptic months===
* [[Thout]]
* [[Paopi]]
* [[Month of Hathor|Hathor]]
* [[Koiak]]
* [[Month of Tobi|Tobi]]
* [[Meshir]]
* [[Paremhat]]
* [[Paremoude]]
* [[Pashons]]
* [[Paoni]]
* [[Epip]]
* [[Mesori]]
* [[Pi Kogi Enavot]]
==Allegations of Human and Civil Rights Abuses==
Following the 1952 revolution, the ideologies of [[Arab nationalism]] and Islamism began gaining popularity with the Egyptian population. By the 1970s, Islamic extremist groups such as [[al Gamaa al-Islamiyya]] (the Islamic Group) and [[al Akhwan al-Muslimeen]] (the Muslim Brotherhood) regularly engaged in Coptic-targeted violence, including church arson, vandalism, kidnapping, physical assault, and murder.
[[image:FreeCopticFlag.jpg|200px|thumb| Free Coptic Flag]]
Although President Mubarak’s administration claims to discourage Islamist activity, increasing numbers of government ministers, police and state security officers, and other officials openly or covertly subscribe to Islamist ideologies threatening to Coptic human and civil rights. Despite the censure of the [[U.S. State Department]], [[United Nations]], NGOs such as [[Human Rights Watch]], and bipartisan members of the [[U.S. Congress]], the [[Egyptian government]] continues to enforce discriminatory legislation disenfranchising Egyptian Christians.
Since the rise of militant Islamism in the late 20th century, millions of Copts have immigrated to Western countries in Europe, the Americas, and the Pacific. International Coptic activists continue to call for substantial Egyptian reform, including: constitutional reforms removing the emphasis on religion in government, laws denouncing as unconstitutional the [[Hamayouni decree]] limiting construction and maintenance of churches and other places of worship, personal identification cards omitting reference to individuals’ creed, and school curriculum reforms emphasizing the equal human and civil rights of Egyptians of all ethnic and religious backgrounds.
==Related words==
* From the Greek word Αίγυπτος "Aiguptos" or "Aigyptos", the name for ''Egypt'' in many [[Europe|European]] languages was derived.
* The word ''qabāṭī'' ''قباطي'', a kind of textile import from Egypt and which was used to cover the [[Kaaba]] since before Islam, is derived from Arabic قبط ''qubṭ''.
* The English word ''gypsy'' is derived from the [[Middle English]] ''egypcien'' meaning "Egyptian". Likewise, the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word ''gitano'', also meaning ''gypsy'', derives from a common Latin source. This is due to the mistaken belief that gypsies were of Egyptian origin. ''Gypsy'' and the (probably) related term, ''gyp'' ("to swindle or cheat") are generally viewed as being pejorative; see the article ''[[Roma (people)]]''.
* In modern [[Egyptian Arabic]], the word ''koftes'' (pl. ''kafatsa''), used colloquially to refer to Christians, is perhaps an Egyptianised form of the Latin ''Coptus'', under phonetic and linguistic factors different from those which existed when ''qubṭ'' was derived from Greek ''aiguptios''. This, however, seems unlikely.
*Medieval sources mention one of the sons of ''Mitzrayim'', who in turn descended from the Biblical [[Noah]], as a possible source for the word 'Copt'.
==References==
* Christians and Jews Under Islam (1997) by Youssef Courbage, Phillipe Fargues, Judy Mabro (Translator)
* Denis, E. (2000). "Cent ans de localisation de la population chrétienne égyptienne." Astrolabe(2).
* [http://www.copticheritage.org/PagEd+index-page_id-828.phtml The Coptic Calendar by Bishoy K. R. Dawood] (1.29MB pdf file – historical development and technical discussion)
* [http://www.copticchurch.net/easter.html An introduction to the Coptic calendar] (Gregorian equivalents are valid only between 1900 and 2099)
* [http://www.smart.net/%7Emmontes/ortheast.html The Orthodox Ecclesiastical Calendar]
* [http://www.andrewfanous.com/CopticCalendar.htm Ancient Egyptian Calendar and Coptic Calendar]
[[:Category:Specific calendars]]
[[ar:تقويم قبطي]]
[[de:Koptischer Kalender]]
[[fr:Calendrier copte]]
[[ja:コプト暦]]
[[pl:Kalendarz koptyjski]]
==See also==
*[[Coptic Christianity]]
*[[Aigyptos]], in [[Greek Mythology]].
*[[Egypt]]
*[[Ethiopian Orthodox Church]]
*[[Oriental Orthodoxy]]
Gruber, Mark. [[Sacrifice in the Desert: a Study of an Egyptian Minority Through the Lense of Coptic Monasticism]]
==Notes==
<references/>
==External links==
* [http://www.copts.com/ Copts]
* [http://St-Takla.org St Taklahimanot Coptic Orthodox Church - Egypt]
* [http://www.copticmuseum.gov.eg/English/default.htm Coptic Museum]
* [http://www.stpeterandstpaul.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=30 In Search of the Lost Egyptian Identity]
* [http://www.theestimate.com/public/01282000a.html Egypt's Copts After Kosheh]
* [http://www.ciaonet.org/book/bengio/bengio03.html Egypt: Minorities and the State]
* [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2001/5636.htm International Religious Freedom Report: Egypt]
* [http://www.theholyfamilycopticcatholicchurch.com Coptic Catholic Church,Toronto Ontario(Under Construction)]
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