Editing Egyptian language (section)

===Coptic===
More changes occur in the 1st millennium BC and the first centuries AD, leading to Coptic (1st or 3rd – c. 19th centuries AD). In Sahidic ''ẖ ḫ ḥ'' had merged into {{coptic|ϣ}} ''š'' (most often from ''ḫ'') and {{coptic|ϩ}} {{IPAslink|h}} (most often ''ẖ ḥ''). Bohairic and Akhmimic are more conservative and have a velar fricative {{IPAslink|x}} ({{coptic|ϧ}} in Bohairic, {{coptic|ⳉ}} in Akhmimic).{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=41}} Pharyngeal ''*ꜥ'' had merged into glottal {{IPAslink|ʔ}} after it had affected the quality of the surrounding vowels.{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=46}} {{IPAslink|ʔ}} is not indicated orthographically unless it follows a stressed vowel; then, it is marked by doubling the vowel letter (except in Bohairic): Akhmimic {{coptic|ⳉⲟⲟⲡ}} {{IPA|/xoʔp/}}, Sahidic and Lycopolitan {{coptic|ϣⲟⲟⲡ}} ''šoʔp'', Bohairic {{coptic|ϣⲟⲡ}} ''šoʔp'' 'to be' < ''ḫpr.w'' *{{IPA|/ˈχapraw/}} 'has become'.{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=41}}{{NoteTag|There is evidence of Bohairic having a phonemic glottal stop: {{Harvcoltxt|Loprieno|1995|p=44}}.}} The phoneme {{coptic|ⲃ}} {{IPAslink|b}} was probably pronounced as a fricative {{IPAblink|β}}, becoming {{coptic|ⲡ}} {{IPAslink|p}} after a stressed vowel in syllables that had been closed in earlier Egyptian (compare {{coptic|ⲛⲟⲩⲃ}} < {{IPA|*/ˈnaːbaw/}} 'gold' and {{coptic|ⲧⲁⲡ}} < *{{IPA|/dib/}} 'horn').{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=41}} The phonemes {{IPA|/d g z/}} occur only in [[Greek language|Greek]] loanwords, with rare exceptions triggered by a nearby {{IPA|/n/}}: {{coptic|ⲁⲛⲍⲏⲃⲉ/ⲁⲛⲥⲏⲃⲉ}} < ''ꜥ.t n.t sbꜣ.w'' 'school'.{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=41}}

{{Contains special characters|Coptic}}
Earlier ''*d ḏ g q'' are preserved as ejective ''t' c' k' k{{'}}'' before vowels in Coptic. Although the same graphemes are used for the pulmonic stops ({{angbr|{{coptic|ⲧ ϫ ⲕ}}}}), the existence of the former may be inferred because the stops {{angbr|{{coptic|ⲡ ⲧ ϫ ⲕ}}}} {{IPA|/p t c k/}} are allophonically aspirated {{IPA|[pʰ tʰ cʰ kʰ]}} before stressed vowels and [[sonorant]] consonants.{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=42}} In Bohairic, the allophones are written with the special graphemes {{angbr|{{coptic|ⲫ ⲑ ϭ ⲭ}}}}, but other dialects did not mark aspiration: Sahidic {{coptic|ⲡⲣⲏ}}, Bohairic {{coptic|ⲫⲣⲏ}} 'the sun'.{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=42}}{{NoteTag|In other dialects, the graphemes are used only for clusters of a stop followed by {{IPAslink|h}} and were not used for aspirates: see {{Harvcoltxt|Loprieno|1995|p=248}}.}}

Thus, Bohairic does not mark aspiration for reflexes of older ''*d ḏ g q'': Sahidic and Bohairic {{coptic|ⲧⲁⲡ}} {{IPA|*/dib/}} 'horn'.{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=42}} Also, the definite article {{coptic|ⲡ}} is unaspirated when the next word begins with a glottal stop: Bohairic {{coptic|ⲡ + ⲱⲡ > ⲡⲱⲡ}} 'the account'.{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=43}}

The consonant system of Coptic is as follows:
{| class="wikitable Unicode" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Coptic consonants{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|pp=40–42}}
|-
! colspan=2 |
! [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! [[Alveolar consonant|Dental]]
! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! colspan=2 | [[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
| {{coptic|ⲙ}}<br />{{IPA link|m}}
| {{coptic|ⲛ}}<br />{{IPA link|n}}
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan=3 | [[Plosive]]
! <small>[[voiceless]]</small>
| {{coptic|ⲡ (ⲫ)}}<br />{{IPA link|p}} ({{IPA link|pʰ}})
| {{coptic|ⲧ (ⲑ)}}<br />{{IPA link|t}} ({{IPA link|tʰ}})
| {{coptic|ϫ (ϭ)}}<br />{{IPA link|c}} ({{IPA link|cʰ}})
| {{coptic|ⲕ (ⲭ)}}<br />{{IPA link|k}} ({{IPA link|kʰ}})
| {{efn|Various orthographic representations; see above.}}<br />{{IPA link|ʔ}}
|-
! <small>[[ejective]]</small>
|
| {{coptic|ⲧ}}<br />{{IPA link|tʼ}}
| {{coptic|ϫ}}<br />{{IPA link|cʼ}}
| {{coptic|ⲕ}}<br />{{IPA link|kʼ}}
|
|-
! <small>[[voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
|
| {{coptic|ⲇ}}<br />{{IPA link|d}}
|
| {{coptic|ⲅ}}<br />{{IPA link|ɡ}}
|
|-
! rowspan=2 | [[Fricative]]
! <small> [[voiceless]]</small>
| {{coptic|ϥ}}<br />{{IPA link|f}}
| {{coptic|ⲥ}}<br />{{IPA link|s}}
| {{coptic|ϣ}}<br />{{IPA link|ʃ}}
| {{coptic|(ϧ, ⳉ)}}<br />({{IPA link|x}})
| {{coptic|ϩ}}<br />{{IPA link|h}}
|-
! <small>[[voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
| {{coptic|ⲃ}}<br />{{IPA link|β}}
| {{coptic|ⲍ}}<br />{{IPA link|z}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan=2 | [[Approximant]]
| {{coptic|(ⲟ)ⲩ}}<br />{{IPA link|w}}
| {{coptic|ⲗ}}<br />{{IPA link|l}}
| {{coptic|(ⲉ)ⲓ}}<br />{{IPA link|j}}
|
|
|-
! colspan=2 | [[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
| {{coptic|ⲣ}}<br />{{IPA link|r}}
|
|
|
|}
{{notelist}}