The Coptic alphabet is a writing system used for the Coptic language, which is the latest stage of the Egyptian language. It was developed in the 2nd century AD and is based on the Greek alphabet, with the addition of some characters from demotic Egyptian to represent sounds not found in Greek. The Coptic alphabet consists of 32 letters and is primarily used by the Coptic Orthodox Church for religious texts. Coptic is significant for its historical role in preserving ancient Egyptian culture and language. Although it is no longer spoken as a native language, it remains important in liturgical contexts. The Coptic alphabet is a key tool for scholars studying ancient Egyptian history and linguistics.