ABSTRACT
This study examines the impact of the Arab conquest of Egypt on religious expression in written communication in Coptic (the indigenous Egyptian language) and the evidence that Coptic letters provide concerning the nature of the relationship between the local population (predominantly Christian) and its new rulers (predominantly Muslim). In so doing, it analyses expressions of religious identity, including formulaic and supra-linguistic elements, and the sociolinguistic repertoires utilized by the individuals involved, in particular politeness strategies, asking whether the identity of the authors is reflected in the use of language. The case studies are examined in their situational contexts, emphasizing the often multiple overlapping identities at play—religion, ethnicity, secular authority—and how particular identities, in this case religious, can be discerned within this multi-layered world.
