Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An Egyptian belonging to or descended from the people of ancient or pre-Islamic Egypt.
- n. A member of the Coptic Church.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Another spelling of copped.
- n. A native Egyptian; an Egyptian Christian, especially oue of the sect of Monophysites. The Copts are descendants of the ancient Egyptians, and formerly spoke the Coptic language. After the Council of Chalcedon (a. d. 451) the majority of Egyptian Christians separated from the Orthodox Church, and have ever since had their own succession of patriarchs. Their number is now very small. The Abyssinian or Ethiopic Church is a part of the Coptic communion, and its abuna or metran is always chosen and consecrated by the Coptic patriarch. See
Monophysite . - n. An abbreviation of Coptic.
Wiktionary
- n. A member of the Coptic Church.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a member of the Coptic Church
- n. an Egyptian descended from the ancient Egyptians
Etymologies
- From French Copte, from Arabic (Egyptian) qufṭ, qubṭ 'Copt', back-formation from qufṭī, qifṭī, qubṭī, qibṭī 'Copts', from Coptic gyptios, kyptaios 'Egyptian', from Late Greek aigyptios, from earlier Aigyptos. More at Egypt. (Wiktionary)
- French Copte, from New Latin Coptus, from Arabic Qubṭ, Copts, from Coptic Gyptias, from Greek Aiguptios, an Egyptian, from Aiguptos, Egypt, of Egyptian origin. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“The term Copt or Gypt is associated with Egypt Eh Gypt, meaning “the land of the Copts”.”
“The word Copt is an adaptation of the Arabic Qibt or”
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 5: Diocese-Fathers of Mercy
“In contemporary usage, the word Copt or Coptic refers to the Christian population of Egypt.”
“The word Copt or Coptic simply means Egyptian, however the Muslim population of Egypt calls themselves Arabs.”
“(used in the Delta from Alexandria to Memphis) and also Coptic from the generic name Copt, which is a corruption of the Greek aiguptos”
“(The word Copt is an English word taken from the Arabic word Gibt or Gypt.”
“Monophysites are sometimes called Jacobites here as in Syria; but the old national name Copt (Gr. Aigyptios) has become the regular one for their Church as well as for their nation.”
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 5: Diocese-Fathers of Mercy
“Wael Eskander, a Copt in his 20s, was insistent Mubarak would be forced out and that the reverberations of his downfall would travel far beyond Tahrir Square and Egypt's borders.”
The Guardian: Egypt's day of rumour and expectation ends in anger and confusion
“The year began with religious violence - 21 people died when a suicide bomber blew himself up as Copt worshipers left a church after midnight on New Year's in Alexandria.”
The Washington Post: Sectarian clashes in Egypt challenge revolutionary idealism
“Try being a Copt in Egypt and see how far you get.”
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