What is the difference between Bohairic and Sahidic Coptic?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In The Abbreviated Coptic English Dictionary by Adeeb Makar, Sahidic and Bohairic are identified as the two major dialects of the Coptic language. While both dialects preserve extensive scriptural texts, they differ significantly in their geographic origins, historical paths, modern usage, and grammatical characteristics.

Geographical Designation and Historical Shift

As seen in manuscript publications such as Coptic Biblical Texts in the Dialect of Upper Egypt (ed. Budge) and The Coptic Version of the New Testament in the Northern Dialect (ed. Horner), Sahidic represents the dialect of Upper Egypt, whereas Bohairic represents the northern dialect. Bruce M. Metzger explains in The Early Versions of the New Testament Their Origin, Transmission, And Limitations (1977) that Sahidic originally held a "preponderant influence in all of Christian Egypt except perhaps in the Bohairic region and its immediate vicinity," while Bohairic was widely used in Alexandria. However, during the eleventh century, the seat of the Coptic Patriarch was moved from Alexandria to Cairo, where Sahidic was common. Bohairic eventually superseded Sahidic, and after c. A.D. 1000, the classical Bohairic version became the official text of the whole Christian Church in Egypt.

Modern Function and Manuscript Evidence

According to The Abbreviated Coptic English Dictionary, Sahidic remains "the one studied in the major Coptology centers, and it is the language of most Coptic manuscripts available at the present time." In contrast, Bohairic survived in living tradition: it is "the only one that continues to be used today as the liturgical language of the Coptic Orthodox Church" (as Metzger also confirms), and Makar adds that it is "the dialect used by the few families who use Coptic as their daily conversational language."

Linguistic Features

Metzger highlights specific linguistic distinctions between the dialects. Beyond unique orthographic letters found in Bohairic, he notes that Bohairic agrees with certain sub-dialects against Sahidic "notably in the use of p-with Greek verbs."

Sources: The Abbreviated Coptic English Dictionary - Adeeb Makar; Metzger - The Early Versions of the New Testament Their Origin, Transmission, And Limitations (1977); Coptic Society - Revelation (Coptic-Greek).pdf