The ability to read hieroglyphic inscriptions on monuments and tombs, and papyrus texts using cursive scripts like demotic, was lost.

The ability to read hieroglyphic inscriptions on monuments and tombs, and papyrus texts using cursive scripts like demotic, was lost.

However, the spoken language itself survived, ...

The ability to read hieroglyphic inscriptions on monuments and tombs, and papyrus texts using cursive scripts like demotic, was lost.

However, the spoken language itself survived, ...

.. using Greek letters plus 7 signs derived from demotic, as the Coptic language.