* In the Boheiric dialect there are thirty-two.

+ Six letters of the Coptic alphabet are modifications of the forms of Egyptian characters in demotic. See p. 125. The names of the letters in Coptic area, Brza, racema, aadaa, ei, ZIT&, HT&, oita, iarta, kanna, darda,

¡, NI, ZI, O, пг, ро, ciе¿, T&V, VE (2€), HI, XI, VI, &r, ayer, qer, Der, ¿opi, xaпxi&, Kill&, TI.

( (= (= (= ( (= (= (= (- (- (= ( =

翾翾翾誑 00 00 00 00 EEEE

OD OD OD OD OD OD OD OD

EGYPTIAN.

In 8 ȧbeț uā

8 åbet sen sat

nn 8 åbet chemt sat

Month three of sowing

Σθωρ

October

28

8 åbet ftu sat

8 ȧbet ua pert
åbet sen pert

8 åbet chemt pert

8 ȧbet ftu pert

* The days for the beginnings of these months were first fixed at Alexandria about B.C. 30.

*

The ancient Egyptians had: I. the vague or civil year, which consisted of 365 days; it was divided into twelve months of thirty days each, and five intercalary days were added at the end; II. the Sothic year of 365 days. The first year of a Sothic period began with the rising of Sirius or the dog-star, on the 1st of the month Thoth, when it coincided with the beginning of the inundation; III. the Egyptian solar year, which was treated as if it were a quarter of a day shorter than the Sothic year, an error which corrected itself in 1460 fixed years or 1461 vague years. The true year was estimated approximately by the conjunction of the sun with Sirius. Dr. Brugsch thinks (Egypt under the Pharaohs, Vol. I., p. 176) that as early as B.C. 2500 five different forms of the year were already in use, and that the "little year' corresponded with the lunar year, and the "great year" with a lunar year having intercalated days. Each month was dedicated to a god.† The Egyptians dated their stela and documents by the day of the month and the year of the king who was reigning at the time. The Copts first dated their documents according to the years of the INDICTION; the indictions were periods of fifteen years, and the first began A.D. 312. In later times the Copts made use of the era of the Martyrs, which was reckoned from the 29th of August, A.D. 284. About the ninth century after Christ they began to adopt the Muḥammadan era of the Hijrah or "flight," which was reckoned from A.D. 622.

It was practically the same as the civil year.

+ Some of the Coptic names of the months show that they have been derived from the ancient Egyptian: thus Thôth is from

Teḥuti, Pachôn from

Mesôre from

Khensu, Athôr from, Het-Heru, mes-Heru, "the birth of Horus" festival,

etc. The Copts have I. an agricultural year, and II. an ecclesiastical year; the latter consists of twelve months of thirty days, with a thirteenth month called Nissi of five or six intercalary days.