Questions and answers

 Questions and answers about The old Coptic accent

From the Arabic book, written by Fr. Shenouda, (The old Bohairic Coptic accent , its history, Authenticity and preference)- Translated By Dr. Mariam Michael :

 First Question :

How do you explain the the widespread use of modern pronunciation in church nowadays, Although it is not based on sound scientific basis ?

Answer : 

I think that this is due to the Church’s commitment ( Until recently) to the idea of the one Seminary, and one Coptic language teacher who received the modern pronunciation from Erian Effendi Girgis or his disciples, without knowing the extent of the novelty of this accent and its lack of authenticity . He continued to teach it to his disciples in the only one seminary , and they are graduated in it to serve all over the evangelism , priests, servants and teachers of religion. And some of them are chosen to the degree of the venerable Episcopal.

So the Intellectual Priests in the seminarian education, who are capable of Preaching and teaching, are now those who pray with the modern accent  . While the old pronunciation remained with the simple priests, who did not get a share of theological education in the seminary, delivered from the Predecessor to the successors  .

By extinction of the uneducated generation of priests during the last four decades, the use of the old pronunciation receded to a few of Priests and intoners who did not learn in seminary  .

The situation remained as it is until the blessed Pop third Shenouda came and, god keeps his life, he encouraged me to research and study Coptic language and teaching it, so he sent me on a mission to Oxford in order to prepare the doctoral thesis in the philosophy of the Coptic language, in the subject,’ Audio Coptic Bohairic dialect and the effect of the Coptic language on Egypt’ .  I continued the thesis, By the grace of the Lord, and  by the bless of prayers of Pop shenouda, and I typed in the four volumes containing about 2237 pages, It won the admiration of scientists of the Coptic language and their extreme appreciation .