Dear all,
I now have about 10 years learning classical languages. First I learnt Pali and now am teaching Pali for Buddhist monks/nuns and laypeople. I could read biblical Latin, Greek, Old English fluently and improving my Syriac skills. By chance I know about Coptic Sahidic which seems very interesting for me, but I have not much time and being busy for my Syriac. Syriac is good but seems a little bit simple in terms of syntax compared with Latin or Greek. So I wonder if I should abadon Syriac for Coptic otherwise; cause the syntax of Coptic is apparently complex with many more formulas. Is that right? What should I do? Please help, all dear!
Sincerely yours,
Khanh
PLEASE HELP ME TO OVERCOME THIS STUFF
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- mahasacham
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Re: PLEASE HELP ME TO OVERCOME THIS STUFF
What are you trying to read in Syriac?
I too am learning Pali, primarily to learn about the Buddadhamma.
So one of the reasons I am studyng Coptic is to read the Gnostic Gospels because of their similarity to Buddhist teachings. Also, I would like to read some of the magical papyri and also to study the hieroglyphs eventually......
So once you figure out what your want to read, that can be a guide.
I too am learning Pali, primarily to learn about the Buddadhamma.
So one of the reasons I am studyng Coptic is to read the Gnostic Gospels because of their similarity to Buddhist teachings. Also, I would like to read some of the magical papyri and also to study the hieroglyphs eventually......
So once you figure out what your want to read, that can be a guide.
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Re: PLEASE HELP ME TO OVERCOME THIS STUFF
I would say that the average Coptic text has a rather simple syntax, closer to the Vulgate than to Cicero.
Coptic literature also cannot compare with Syriac literature in terms of richness.
Coptic literature also cannot compare with Syriac literature in terms of richness.
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Re: PLEASE HELP ME TO OVERCOME THIS STUFF
Dear language-friend!mahasacham wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 7:24 am What are you trying to read in Syriac?
I too am learning Pali, primarily to learn about the Buddadhamma.
So one of the reasons I am studyng Coptic is to read the Gnostic Gospels because of their similarity to Buddhist teachings. Also, I would like to read some of the magical papyri and also to study the hieroglyphs eventually......
So once you figure out what your want to read, that can be a guide.
I am a Buddhist of Theravada, so that why I chose to learn Pali. And the reason for my studying Latin, Greek, Syriac etc is also my religion. I want to learn scientific/language/research methods from those fields and until now I can say with confidence my study-direction bears many fruits. Compared with Latin or Greek, Pali is just a minor field with much less scholars active within it. So there are many rooms for applying from the West; for example: there are many instances of rhetoric within the Pali Canon, but no special Pali documents/textbooks mentioning about it - according to my knowledge until now - and I have learnt about the rhetoric topic from Latin and Greek.
Thanks so much, anyway, I still feel Coptic very interesting!
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Re: PLEASE HELP ME TO OVERCOME THIS STUFF
Aha, thanks so much friends. I always feel syntax-topic to be very sexy. That is the most important thing when I explore or evaluate a language.