Coptic Scriptorium - Guidelines Overview - Amir Zeldes - revision date 2021-03-12

Oct 13, 2026

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Coptic Scriptorium guidelines overview by Amir Zeldes, updated 2021-03-12, presents a segmentation framework for Coptic transcription. It specifies Layton-style stress-bearing bound groups with delimiters for norm units and morphemes, explains handling of fused theta/phi, and provides compound noun and verb segmentation rules. It also defines XML markup constraints and TEI tag usage, then details spreadsheet-mode part-of-speech tagging, auxiliary/converter tag sets, pronoun tagging distinctions, and portmanteau tag behavior.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Guidelines Overview

Segmentation and Stress-Based Bound Groups

Compounds and Theta/Phi Handling

XML Markup and TEI Tag Rules

Part of Speech Tagging

Auxiliaries, Converters, Pronouns, and Function Words

Coptic Scriptorium – Guidelines Overview / Amir Zeldes (revision date: 2021-03-12) Coptic Scriptorium – Guidelines Overview / Cheat Sheet Segmentation We use Layton’s segmentation: each stressed unit is spelled together, with text split into stress-bearing bound groups (_), norm units (|), and morphemes (-) . Bound groups are units which are uninterruptable ([e.g. by](e.g. by) ⲇⲉ) and are the maximum domain for phonotactic changes: ϩⲙ|ⲡ|ⲏⲓ is one bound group, otherwise ⲛ → ⲙ before ⲡ would be word-external assimilation (‘sandhi’) . 􀁸 ⲁ|ϥ|ⲥⲱⲧⲙ_ ⲇⲉ_ ⲛϭⲓ|ⲡ|ⲣⲱⲙⲉ_ϫⲉ|ⲟⲩⲛⲧⲁ|ⲓ_ⲧⲁ|ⲭⲣⲉⲓⲁ (ϫⲉ, ⲛϭⲓ are spelled together!) 􀁸 ⲙⲛ|ⲧⲉⲓ|ⲙⲛⲧ-ⲁⲧ-ⲥⲱⲧⲙ (hyphens are used to separate constituent morphemes) 􀁸 ϯ|ⲣ-ϩⲟⲧⲉ_ ⲁⲛ (NB we can insert particles before ⲁⲛ; ⲣ-ϩⲟⲧⲉ is a compound verb) Coptic pausal marks (⳿) also offer supporting evidence for stress-based bound groups – where they appear, they generally correspond to the bound group splits assumed here: 􀁸 ⲉⲣⲉ|ⲡⲉⲩ|ϩⲟⲩ˸_ ˼-ⲙԽ־ⲣⲉ⳿_ϫⲉ|ⲙⲉ|ⲛ|ϫⲱԷְ_ ԛֲ|ⲥⲓⲟⲟⲩⲛⲉ⳿ Compounds Compound nouns are segmented into morphs (hyphenated) and identified by potentially having a single article at most. Compound verbs are identified by having no determiner (article, possessive or numeral) for the object: 􀁸 ⲡ|ⲙⲁⲓ-ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ (ⲙⲁⲓ-ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ is a single noun, since only one article is possible) 􀁸 ⲣ-ⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ (no article on object → compound) 􀁸 ⲣ|ⲡ|ⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ (article on object → separate norm units) 􀁸 ⲉ|ⲧⲣⲉ|ⲩ|ϩⲟⲧⲡ|ⲥⲛⲁⲩ (number counts as a determiner → separate norm units) 􀁸 ⲁ|ϥ|ⲁϩⲉ|ⲣⲁⲧ|ϥ (possessive counts as a determiner → separate norm units) Handling theta/phi Fused theta/phi is followed by a separator during transcription to indicate the correct number of segments. Later in spreadsheet mode, the norm and norm_group layers split the hori off: 􀁸 Orig/transcrition: ⲛ|ⲑ|ⲉ (norms: ⲛ+ⲧ+ϩⲉ) More examples 􀁸 ⲟⲩ|ⲣⲱⲙⲉ_ ⲡⲉ (cf. ⲟⲩ|ⲣⲱⲙⲉ_ ⲅⲁⲣ_ ⲡⲉ) 􀁸 ⲁ|ⲓ|ⲥⲉⲧⲡ|ⲧⲉ|ⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ (for prenominal form, BUT: ⲁ|ⲓ|ⲥⲱⲧⲡ_ⲧⲉ|ⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ) 􀁸 ⲡ|ⲉⲧ|ⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩ|ϥ (normal article, relative converter, etc.) 􀁸 ⲡ|ⲡ-ⲉⲧ-ⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩ-ϥ (first article is normal, rest is a noun with morphological structure) Coptic Scriptorium – Guidelines Overview / Amir Zeldes (revision date: 2021-03-12) 􀁸 ⲙⲡ|ⲟⲩ|ϣ|ⲃⲱⲕ (the verb ϣ is considered an independent auxiliary verb) 􀁸 ϥ|ϭⲙϭⲟⲙ (NB quadrilateral verb stems are considered a single unit) 􀁸 ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲃⲁⲗⲗⲉ but ⲕⲁⲧⲁ|ⲫⲩⲥⲓⲛ (Greek verbs are not analyzed; but PREP+N is separate) Markup Markup in XML editor mode includes any structural annotations about the text which do not constitute Coptic text themselves. All Coptic text should be outside markup tags. Use TEI tags listed here. Markup totally ignores word segmentation, applying to any range of characters. Running examples look like this: ⲁ|ϥ|ϫӌⲟ|ⲥ_ ӈϭⲓ ... Common tags include: (note the use of opening AND closing tags throughout) - ... (or other rendering: tall, red, illuminated...) - .. (page break, i.e. the span of the page) - .. (column break, i.e. the span of the column) - .. (line break, i.e. the span of the line) - .. Always surround "attributes" with straight double quotes; never use double quotes in attribute values. Part of speech tagging In spreadsheet mode, tags are given to each norm unit (but not to morphs, or bound groups) . Compounds receive a single tag; for full guidelines see the documentation. Content words (tags in N*, V*, ADV) - N for nouns, NPROP for proper names. Note that there are no adjective tags – these are interpreted as nouns (ϣⲏⲙ) or verboids (ⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩ): o ⲓⲏⲥⲟⲩⲥ/NPROP ⲡ/ART ⲙⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲉ/N - V for verbs, with VIMP for unique morphological imperative forms and VBD for verboids: o ⲛⲉ/ART ⲥⲛⲏⲩ/N ⲣⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ/V o ⲁⲣⲓ/V ⲧ/ART ⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ/N o ⲡⲉϫⲉ/VBD ⲡ/ART ϩⲗⲗⲟ/N - ADV for proper adverbs: ⲙⲙⲁⲩ/ADV , ⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ/ADV (cf. PTC below for particles) Coptic Scrip

FAQs

How does the document define stress-based bound groups in Layton segmentation?

Each stressed unit is spelled together, then split into stress-bearing bound groups, norm units, and morphemes using the provided delimiters. Bound groups are treated as the uninterruptable maximum domain for phonotactic changes.

What rules govern the segmentation of compound nouns and compound verbs?

Compound nouns are segmented into hyphenated morphs and typically allow at most a single article. Compound verbs are identified by lacking an object determiner (article, possessive, or numeral), distinguishing them from separate norm units.

How are XML markup and TEI tags supposed to be used relative to Coptic text?

Markup in XML editor mode covers structural annotations that do not constitute Coptic text, and all Coptic text must be outside markup tags. Markup ignores word segmentation and applies to character ranges.

Oct 13, 2026

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