Coptic (ϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ or ⲧⲙⲛ̄ⲧⲣⲙ̄ⲛ̄ⲕⲏⲙⲉ) is the latest stage of the Egyptian language, spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. In the 2nd century BCE, Egyptian began to be written in the Coptic alphabet, which is an adaptation of the Greek alphabet.