Concerning the Book Living Language Dothraki
and the Dothraki Language with a Response from
the Khal
Author: James E. Hopkins, David J. Peterson
MS Date: 11-21-2014
FL Date: 12-01-2014
FL Number: FL-000027-00
Citation: Hopkins, James E., & Peterson, David J. 2014.
«Concerning the Book Living Language
Dothraki and the Dothraki Language with a
Response from the Khal.» FL-000027-00,
Fiat Lingua,
Dec. 2014.
Copyright: © 2014 James E. Hopkins & David J. Peterson.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Fiat Lingua is produced and maintained by the Language Creation Society (LCS). For more information
about the LCS, visit http://www.conlang.org/
SHERI TA FERESHEY LIVING LANGUAGE: DOTHRAKI VEY TA DOTRAKIT SHOLEY
CONCERNING THE BOOK LIVING LANGUAGE DOTHRAKI AND THE DOTHRAKI
LANGUAGE
M’ELZIKHOON KHALOON
WITH A RESPONSE FROM THE KHAL
Ta shopín mu rasholnirdiit Itlantanora:
Sheri bashit fereshey vey sheri ta sholey kiinova ayzanyara haova ruvya vemyaru. Varvari
ta kadimey ta feresha pashni anikebsyivu var zatvolár bashit vadikensala franartantoizhe
onyavu. Ta feresh kulizhe ra-boshyava!
The review of one non-linguist Itlani:
I would like to say something about the book and the language which it teaches. I
was really excited about the the arrival of the book because I have been a long-time
admirer of your work. The book did not disappoint at all!
San athchomari yeraan, zhey vichomerak! Anha ray char san
astosori qisi yer akka. Oakah yeri k’Itlani ray hakeso sekke she
jin rhaesh.
Much respect to you, foreigner! I have heard much about you as well. Your
facility in Itlani has become quite famous in this land.
Ta fereshís vey ta loshonit djattemleg dini banadjinit inserisukan kadimyaven. Shey
pashni tashitalsheynizhe korunivit onyara.
The small book and its accompanying audio-disc came in a beutiful presentation
box. Everything was well thought out in advance and well done.
Jini tikh voji haji Living Language. Jin movekh entoon mori,
majin mori torga atthizari ven maan ven yallaan zhorre mori.
This is the work of the people at Living Language. This project was their baby,
and they loved it like their own child.
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Secha ta fereshís kilikit sizdtaatoa onyara, ta vikerúd ta dafarivensala pashni kultugit
onyara vey ta inseriót pashni idaryara. Ta blavkanulak ta chaesea isteryara vey omanizhe
loshpreveshkit onyara. Pientaizhe praykonit ta mazhnulakivit gadansalú onyaren.
Dralen sheri ta kulit inserisukey onyara u pashni omanizhe loshfulatseshkit onyara ta
kuldji.
Although the book is of small format, the conciseness of the data is comprehensive
and the presentation style is very clear. The text arrangement is pleasing to the eyes
and easy to follow. The thematic word lists are especially useful. A bonus of the
whole box-set is that, as a unit, it is easily portable.
Me’th anaqisa hash yer vondee mae ma yeroon ki sajosi! Ki
gavati, ko anni, zhey Suzanne McQuade, idrikoon davra. Anha
laz vo to mae vosecchi oma moon.
It must be small if you’re to take it with you on horseback! As to the content, my
editor, Suzanne McQuade, was a good guide. I could not have done it without
her.
Ta loshonit djattemleg gidanit arien ta kulit nedena onyara khaá. Djamó sheyan, ta
Dotrakit shol eypirit onyara. Secha Romteynsál djura lapanyara – shas eylebit ferimey
samyara. Idakín, ta sholova uvakilu djatya chilinyara. Ta djattemleg boshyara ra. Ta
makbashós ta skankaora ivaridarit onyara vey ta ketásh ta shola djurit shifova pashni
argidanafyara. Kulkulizhe ta kednait inserí ta fereshisa vey ta djattemlega pashni
isteryara.
The accompanying audio disc is indeed a real plus to the whole package. Above all,
Dothraki is a spoken language. Although a Romanization for it exists, it remains
without a native script. For that reason, it is important to hear the language orally.
The disc does not disappoint. The reading of the author is pure and clear and the
sound of the language increases its attractiveness. As a whole, the physical
presentation of the book and audio disc is excellent.
Me anha, jin astok! Hash yer vo neso? Oh, oh! Vosma akat eshna
astoki vekhish akka: ma zhey Adam Meir ma zhey Cassandra
Campbell. Athtezar mori najahish k’anni sekke. Mori Dothraki
tawaki ayyeyaan.
That was me! Did you not know? Heh, heh! But there were two other speakers,
as well: Adam Meir and Cassandra Campbell. Their performances really
impressed me. They are real Dothraki from here on out.
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Daivizhe, ta kulit neden murnizhe resh fidiridafarosey ta Dotrakit shola lapanyara – vey
muku shta ta bosh zhanyira razá.
Understandably, the whole package exists for the dissemination of the Dothraki
language – and once again no disappointment is to be found anywhere.
Jin ase yeroon mra zhor anhoon, zhey Tsiasuk. San athchomari
yeraan!
These words from you are important to me, Tsiasuk. Much respect to you!
Zhoyit muit glavnien ta shola onyava u ta ketashsalú ta Dotrakit vey ta Itlanit sholarun
halán vutanda palyaren. Idá zhoyese sasaniizhe malidyava. Sheri ta povnaey ta Dotrakit
shola ruvyanu u secha ta sneha ketaú rayizhe dudjyaren ta ketakadirú vutani ishi
ichyaren. Bari onyara u zarketaú ishi onayaren. Kesh idaizhe? Etikhyaru prundji u ta
zarlanit ketaú murnizhe ta arfranarafova ta ketaketasharun rivshoyaren var prundji
vutanda ta ketakadirú ichyaren. Itlanizhe, hait zar ba min susumarit ketaú ketakadirova
vutani lafiyaren.
My first impression of the language was that the phonologies of the Dothraki and
Itlani languages are somewhat similar. This pleasantly surpised me. About the
pronuciation of Dothraki I would say that although the many vowels butt up against
one another glottal stops are always lacking between them. It’s almost as if they are
always dipthtongs. Is that so? I suspect too that the double vowels only represent
lenghthenings of the vowel sounds becaue they too lack glottal stops. In Itlani, any
two or three colliding vowels have a glottal stop between them.
Me asta ei mem! A mem ataki she «evethaan» vo neako vosecchi.
Akat A memi vekhi she «evethaan» ayyey. Vineseras jin! Vosma sek.
Athvithar Dothraki vena athvithar Itlani. Jin allayafa anna. Jin
lirisir Itlani akka. Me lekh davra!
One speaks every sound! The first A sound in «evethaan» («to the water») is never
long. There are always two A sounds in «evethaan». Remember this! But yes. The
sound of Dothraki is similar to the sound of Itlani. This pleases me. The Itlani
writing system too. It is a good language!
Ruzay ta oygidanit malíd kadimyava ranti ta sholova ta temlegilu djatyavu. Ta zerót ta
fidirieypa ta Dotrakit shola pashni obragit onyara. Ishvemyaru kashá-ba-rá ta zerós hait
pientait farishova dini ta sholan trevkonyara? Ranti ta Dotrakit pyurikovó povnayanu,
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yibyavu u Itlanatsit zerosova sahandizhilu igüaarit onyavu. Pashni harvolizhe ta Dotrakit
zerotova digya cheykopyavu.
But the biggest surprise came when I heard the language on the audio disc. The
intonation style of spoken Dothraki is very distinctive. I wonder whether or not tone
has any special role in the language? When I would pronounce the Dothraki
samples, I found that I was naturally using an Itlani intonation. I had to very
consciously imitate the Dothraki pitch.
Athvithar lekhi lazim vo vindee nasoon. Tiholat Dothraki
charolat Dothraki. Jin vena ei lekhes. (Che ei lekh h’astokhaan.)
The intonation of a language cannot be captured in writing. (Lit. «The flow of a
language cannot be stabbed by needles.») To understand Dothraki is to listen to
Dothraki. The same is true of every language. (Or every spoken language.)
Ta zarit glavnien sheri ta funduovleey ta sitivena ta shola onyava. Secha chadotizhe ta
shol pashni omoit onyara ta sneha korungadanit vey mishtaratgadanit sizdú breskit
dazhemfunduova ta ovlea dafaryara vey pashni tatsedivit anurosova ta tuzhanarun
dazhem ta gadanavá vey ta ketashavá dafaryaren. Iíd voomanizhe neteleshkit vey
Itlanit chonzaay pashni prinadimarit onyara.
The second impression that I had was concerning the complexity of the structure of
the language. Although the language is simple in many ways the various verb and
noun forms give a subtle interweave of complexity and a very nuanced coloring of
connections between the words and the sounds. This is hard to explain and is very
impressionist from an Itlani point of view.
Ei hrazef nemo veni athhezhaharoon. Me’th dothrae hrazef
atihoe mae.
All horses resemble each from a distance. One must ride the horse to
understand it.
Itlanit chonzaay, ta raobrág seti chadit korungadanit sizdavá vey ta loshonit igüá ta
emdalit mudjamishtaratarun argidanit vikerudova ta sholese ushogyara. Itlanit djakesea,
iíd savukyara u ta Dotrakú arurizhe eypya makayaten mashrá u ta Itlantanú ishi
arfranarizhe eypya cheykopyaren! Franár ta Itlanit eypót onyara vey ur ta Dotrakit ot! Iíd
var ta Dotrakú kihararit tadranarú onyaren vey ta Itlantanú ta depikarú ta shatunarun.
Shey kayarese iíd nukmenyara.
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From an Itlani perspective, the non-distinction of many verb forms and the
accompanying use of personsal pronouns provides the language with a greater
conciseness. To Itlanit ears, this allows the Dothraki to speak more concisely while
the Itlani are always long-winded! Long is the Itlani way, and short is the Dothraki
way! This, because the Dothraki are wandering warriors and the Itlani – city
dwellers. This suits each culture.
Ki Dothraki, Itlani kartaki; Dothraki karlinaki. Khalasar davra
zigeree akat, sekosshi.
In Dothraki, the Itlani are draft horses; the Dothraki, light horses. A good khalasar
needs both, of course.
Meyrandjizhe ruvya cheykopyaru u ta Dotrakit shol eait mos-mosarun onyara! Shaleyla
seti djurit iskeman! Murnizhe shagaltsurya makayaru kinlán talkorizhe korunivit vey
nuvendaizhe isterit bashit tamagit sholú onyaren. Sheri idaey otorayyaru zhoy ra!
Generally I must say that the Dothraki language is a brilliant wonder-of-wonders!
Congratulations on its success! I can only imagine how skillfully done and
esthetically pleasing your other languages are. Of this I have no doubt.
Athchomar chomakaan, zhey Tsiasuk! Ase yeri veni chafes vi
noreth! Itlani voji erini. Ma san athchomari yeraan ha majilat
dirge yeri ki lekhi zhorre yeri. Dothralates Dothraki haji Itlani
ayyeyaan!
Respect to you who are so respectful, Tsiasuk! Your words are like wind through
my hair! You Itlani are kind people. And much respect to you for sharing your
thoughts in your own language. May the Dothraki ride with the Itlani forever!
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