Coptic

Script for the final form of the ancient Egyptian language. Combines 24 Greek letters with 7 characters derived from Demotic Egyptian script (31 total). Used as the liturgical language of Egyptian Christianity (Coptic Church) since the 2nd century AD, it gradually ceased as a daily language after the Arab conquest of Egypt (641 AD). Champollion used his Coptic knowledge to decipher hieroglyphs; Coptic serves as the linguistic bridge between ancient Egyptian and modern Arabic.