James Cameron actually invented the language for the Na’vi to add some reality to Avatar, Star Trek has infamously created a “real” Klingon language and Tolkien loved inventing languages – some of which feature in Lord of the Rings.
HBO has announced one more geek language. Now we can enjoy Dothraki.
Dothraki is spoken by the Dothraki; the horse warriors who terrorise the plains.
The new language was created by David J. Peterson of the Language Creation Society. It was the Language Creation Society who HBO, under the direction of executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, turned to for help.
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss wanted to give their production of George R.R. Martin‘s Game of Thrones that extra edge. Weiss said;
“The language he’s devised is phenomenal. It captures the essence of the Dothraki, and brings another level of richness to their world. We look forward to his first collection of Dothraki love sonnets.”
The press release from HBO included some samples of the Dothraki language in use.
Did you know? (Hash yer ray nesi?)
The name for the Dothraki people — and their language — derives from the verb “dothralat” (“to ride”).
The Dothraki have four different words for “carry,” three for “push,” three for “pull” and at least eight for “horse,” but no word that means “please” or “follow.”
The longest word in Dothraki is “athastokhdeveshizaroon,” which means “from nonsense.”
The words for “related,” “weighted net,” “eclipse,” “dispute,” “redhead,” “oath,” “funeral pyre,” “evidence,” “omen,” “fang” and “harvest moon” all have one element in common: “qoy,” the Dothraki word for “blood.”
Dothraki for “to dream” – “thirat atthiraride” – literally means “to live a wooden life”; in Dothraki, “wooden” (“ido”) is synonymous with “fake.”
The word for “pride” – “athjahakar” – is derived from “jahak,” the traditional long braid worn by Dothraki warriors (“lajaki”).
