Coptic Small Letter Hate

ⲏ is a Coptic vowel letter, commonly transliterated ē. A Sahidic guide gives it a sound like the vowel in English “hate”; that description belongs to one reading tradition, not every Coptic pronunciation.

Coptic writing grew from the Greek alphabet, with additional signs from Demotic, an older Egyptian script. By the late fourth century BCE, Egyptian names were being written in Greek letters to represent Egyptian sounds. ⲏ belongs to the Greek-derived group and is historically related to Greek eta. Later, translations of Christian scripture gave Coptic writing an important role.

Why does ⲏ sound different?

Its sound depends on the Coptic dialect and reading tradition. Sahidic and Bohairic are distinct Coptic traditions; a Sahidic guide gives ⲏ an ē-like value, while church reading follows a Bohairic tradition.

The letter still writes a vowel, but its sound can be taught differently. A classroom transliteration and a church reading may therefore differ without either using a different character.

How do I type ⲏ?

Select ⲏ on a Coptic keyboard layout. Greek η may look similar, but it is a different encoded character and does not stand in for the Coptic letter.

A font may draw the same Coptic character in a Sahidic- or Bohairic-oriented style. Some digital hybrids do not match manuscript traditions, so an unfamiliar shape can come from the font rather than a different letter.