Copts

Members of the Coptic ethno-religious Christian group account for ten percent of today’s Egyptian population.  Prior to seventh century Arab conquests which introduced Arabic as the official language, Coptic Christians represented a majority and formally spoke the Coptic (also known as Egyptian) language.  Copts have adopted the Arabic language for everyday use since.  Aside from its liturgical use in churches and in religious texts, the Coptic language is now considered extinct.  Similar to Nubians, ethnic Copts have faced increased marginalization since the Egyptian Army’s coup in the early 1950s.