Coptic
The native Coptic word for "God" chanted in almost every hymn
ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ What is Phnouti?
After Cain killed his brother Abel, God granted Eve another son to carry the righteous lineage, whose name means "Appointed" or "Substitute."
Who is Seth?
Author of the shortest canonical Gospel, this Apostle and Evangelist brought the Christian faith to Egypt, established the See of Alexandria, and had the Mystical Supper hosted in his family’s home in Jerusalem.
Who is St. Mark the Apostle (or St. Mark the Evangelist)?
St. Abadir and his sister St. Iraee lived in Antioch as imperial nobility because their father, Basilides, served as the chief counselor and prime minister to this Roman Emperor who initiated the Great Persecution.
Who is Emperor Diocletian?
Derived from the native Coptic word ⲁϫⲡ (ajp), which means "hour," this beloved book of the seven canonical hours of prayer is used daily by Coptic faithful to sanctify each part of the day and night.
What is the Agpeya (ϯⲁϫⲡⲓⲁ)?
Chanted at the end of prayers, this universal Hebrew word adopted into Coptic means "Truly" or "So be it."
What is Amen?
This patriarch and prophet walked with God in such intimacy that he did not experience physical death, but was taken directly into heaven.
Who is Enoch?
Recorded in the Book of Acts, this righteous servant was one of the original seven deacons and became the very first martyr (protomartyr) of the Christian Church after giving a bold defense before the Sanhedrin.
Who is St. Stephen (ⲥⲧⲉⲫⲁⲛⲟⲥ)?
Before renouncing his secular rank to follow Christ, St. Abadir held this high-ranking, decorated imperial position within the Roman Empire.
What is a military commander (or officer)?
The Greek word for "Bishop" or "Overseer," which we use before a Bishop's name (like in Bishop Kyrillos).
What is Episkopos (ⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ)?
Chanted in the Coptic Church during the joy of Holy Communion, this final psalm of the traditional Hebrew psalter calls for praising God with trumpets, lutes, harps, and loud cymbals.
What is Psalm 150?
Penned by St. John on the Island of Patmos, this final prophetic book of the New Testament is chanted in its entirety in the Coptic Orthodox Church during the solemn vigil of Bright Saturday.
What is the Book of Revelation (or the Apocalypse / ⲁⲡⲟⲕⲁⲗⲩⲙⲯⲓⲥ)?
To ensure their immense royal privilege and high social status would not protect them or earn them special treatment from authorities, the holy siblings disguised themselves in the garments of these people before slipping out of the palace gates.
What are poor travelers (or peasants / commoners)?
The Coptic Orthodox Church serves the Divine Liturgy using the rites of three great Church Fathers: St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and this 24th Patriarch of Alexandria revered as the "Pillar of Faith" (The Pillar of the Faith).
Who is St. Cyril of Alexandria (ⲁⲃⲃⲁ ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲗⲗⲟⲥ)?
Chanted loudly three times during the ordination of a deacon, priest, or bishop, this Greek loanword proclaims that the servant is "Worthy!"
What is Axios (ⲁⲝⲓⲟⲥ)?*
Celebrated during Apocalypse Night (Apokalympsis) before the Bright Saturday Liturgy, this short, poetic psalm recounts King David's youth as an "outcast" shepherd boy anointed to defeat Goliath.
Central to the preaching of St. John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ, this Greek term for repentance—used extensively throughout the New Testament—literally signifies a profound "change of mind" and inner transformation rather than mere emotional regret.
What is Metanoia (μετάνοια / in Coptic: ϯⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲓⲁ)?
After sailing to Alexandria, St. Abadir and St. Iraee traveled south to this Upper Egyptian city—notorious for its brutal governor, Arianus—to publicly confess Christ.
What is Ansena?
Celebrated on 1 Tout, this joyful feast marks the Coptic New Year and the beginning of the "Year of the Martyrs" (Anno Martyrum), commemorating the victims of Emperor Diocletian’s Great Persecution starting in 284 AD.
What is the Feast of Nayrouz
Heard at the start of Midnight Praises and throughout our prayers (like in *Ten-ou-osht*), the native Coptic root ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ (ou-osht) translates to this sacred action of reverently bowing down before God.
What is worship (or bow down / prostrate)?
Translated into Greek by 70 Jewish scholars in Alexandria around 250 BC, this ancient version of the Old Testament—frequently quoted by the Holy Apostles and preserved in the Coptic Orthodox Agpeya—contains the Deuterocanonical books and an alternate Psalm numbering system.
What is the Septuagint (or LXX)?
While modern Western scholars frequently dispute its authorship, the ancient Alexandrian patristic tradition—upheld by scholars like St. Clement, Origen, and St. Athanasius—firmly maintained that St. Paul wrote this New Testament epistle, renowned for depicting Christ as the eternal High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
What is the Epistle to the Hebrews?
Commemorated on 28 Tout (ⲕⲏ Ⲑⲱⲟⲩⲧ), after the siblings received the crown of martyrdom, their holy bodies were secretly taken, wrapped in fine linen, and preserved by a faithful believer bearing this Old Testament prophet's name.
Who is Samuel?
Serving only as a young deacon and secretary to Pope Alexander at the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, this future 20th Pope of Alexandria defended the Orthodox dogma that Christ is "of one essence" with the Father, writing the famous treatise On the Incarnation.
Who is St. Athanasius the Apostolic