Introduction

The relationship between language and culture is a complex one due largely in part to
the great difficulty in understanding people’s cognitive processes when they
communicate. Wardhaugh (2006, p. 2) defines language as “a knowledge of rules and
principles and of the ways of saying and doing things with sounds, words, and sentences
rather than just knowledge of specific sounds, words and sentences”. Although
Wardhaugh does not mention culture in his definition of language, he does connect the
idea of language with the context in which humans perform it. In words of Sapir (1921,
p. 207), “language does not exist apart from culture, that is, from the socially inherited
assemblage of practices and beliefs that determines the texture of our lives.”

This essay seeks to analyse how an artificially created language from the series
“Game of Thrones” called “Dothraki” reflects and symbolises its culture. By doing so, I
wish to show the correlation between language and culture and the great influence they
have in each other. Furthermore, I will attempt to show how language may express,
embody and symbolise culture.

It seems necessary to remark that this essay will only deal with the way in which
Dothraki language reflects its culture and not with the specific linguistic features of this
language in particular.

The corpus consists of several scenes where the Dothraki language is used throughout
nineteen of the sixty seven episodes that comprise the series. Within the total of scenes,
I have selected three of them that I considered to be more suitable for the analysis.

In order to carry out the aforementioned analysis, this essay will be divided into
different sections. The first section will consist of an explanation and a brief
introduction of the material of the analysis. The second section will consist of a
theoretical background where the relevant theories will be explained. The following
section will consist of the analysis of the corpus, and finally, the essay will conclude
with some final comments and the posing of further questions.

Material for analysis

Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama television series created by David
Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R.
Martin's series of fantasy novels, the first of which is “A Game of Thrones”. Set on the
fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, Game of Thrones has several plot lines and
a large ensemble cast.

Inside the fantasy world of the series there are several cultures that inhabit the
different regions of Westeros and Essos. One of these regions is called the Dothraki Sea,
which is a vast, flat grassland on Essos. It is inhabited by the Dothraki people, a copper-
skinned race of warlike nomads with their own language and unique culture. The
Dothraki live in hordes called khalasars, each led by a chief called a Khal. Khalasars are
broken into groups, called khas, which are each led by one of the Khal's captains, called
Kos. Dothraki are expert riders and their horses are of prime importance in their culture,
used for food, transportation, raw materials, warfare, and establishing social standing.
They regularly raid other peoples. The Dothraki have only one permanent city, called
Vaes Dothrak, which serves as their capital. The city is filled with statues stolen from
other cities the Dothraki conquered or raided. There is a law that no Dothraki may shed
blood within the boundaries of Vaes Dothrak and that those who do are cursed.

George R. R. Martin states that the Dothraki were actually fashioned as an amalgam
of a number of steppe and plains cultures: Mongols, Huns, Alans, Sioux, Cheyenne, and
various other Amerindian tribes.

For the TV series, the directors decided to create different languages for some of the
cultures. The Dothraki language and vocabulary was created by David J. Peterson and
comprises 3163 words. It was developed under two significant constraints. First, the
language had to match the uses already put down in the books. Secondly, it had to be
easily pronounceable or learnable by the actors.

Theoretical background
The first concepts that must be introduced for the purposes of this essay are the
notions of the Sapir – Whorf hypothesis, also called Linguistic Relativity. This theory
claims that language influences how its speakers view the world. The linguist Sapir
“acknowledged the close relationship between language and culture, maintaining that
they were inextricably related so that you could not understand or appreciate the one
without a knowledge of the other. The passage which most clearly summarizes his
views (1929, p. 209) is as follows:

Human beings do not live in the objective world alone, nor alone in the world of
social activity as ordinarily understood, but are very much at the mercy of the
particular language which has become the medium of expression for their society.
It is quite an illusion to imagine that one adjusts to reality essentially without the
use of language and that language is merely an incidental means of solving
specific problems of communication or reflection. The fact of the matter is that
the ‘real world’ is to a large extent unconsciously built up on the language habits
of the group. . . . We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do
because the language habits of our community predispose certain choices of
interpretation.” (Wardhaugh 2006, p. 222).

This hypothesis has two main versions. A strong version, more related to the ideas of
Whorf, that claims that language determines the way in which speakers of that language
perceive the world, and a weak version, generally more accepted by scholars, that
claims that language influences its speaker´s perception of the world. One of the
conclusions from the weak version of the theory is that language, as code, reflects
cultural preoccupations and constrains the way people think. This idea relates to culture
as semantically encoded in the language itself (Kramsch 1999, p. 14).

Another linguist that relates the ideas of language and culture is Claire Kramsch. She
defines culture as a “membership in a discourse community that shares a common
social space and history, and a common system of standards for perceiving, believing,
evaluating, and acting (1999, p.127). For Kramsch, a discourse community is a social
group that has a broadly agreed set of common public goals and purposes in its use of
spoken and written language.

Kramsch states that language expresses, embodies and symbolizes cultural reality.
When referring to the notion of cultural identity, Kramsch claims that:

It is widely believed that there is a natural connection between the language

spoken by members of a social group and that group’s identity. By their accent,
their vocabulary, their discourse patterns, speakers identify themselves and are
identified as members of this or that speech and discourse community....
Although there is no one to one relationship between anyone´s language and his
or her cultural identity, language is the most sensitive indicator of the relationship
between an individual and a given social group (...) Language is an integral part
of ourselves – it permeates our very thinking and way of viewing the world
(Kramsch 1999, p. 65).

From the aforementioned notions and theories it can be concluded that language and
culture are not only related to each other but also intrinsically connected. In the
following section I will attempt to show how an invented language may express,
embody and symbolize the cultural reality it belongs to.

Analysis
As mentioned before, I have chosen three scenes that will help to illustrate how the
Dothraki language expresses its culture. The first scene is from the first episode of the
first season. It takes place at the wedding between Daenerys, one of the main characters
of the series, and Khal Drogo, the leader of the Dothraki. After they got married, Drogo
offers her bride a white mare as a gift. As at that time Daenerys did not know the
Dothraki language, she asks ones of his servants called Ser Jorah (who knew both
languages) to translate for her:

“DAENERYS: She’s beautiful. … Ser Jorah, I don’t know how to say ‘thank you’ in
Dothraki.
JORAH: There is no word for ‘thank you’ in Dothraki.”

Here we can see how a linguistic feature of the language expresses and symbolises its
culture. The fact of not having a word to say “thank you” in Dothraki shows that the
concept of this word is not familiar to them. As they are a savage tribe known for its
violent and ungrateful society, the fact that they do not have a word to express the
concept of “thank you” clearly shows how a language shapes and is shaped by the
culture it belongs to. Not only do the customs and culture of the Dothraki make them
what they are, but also their language and the vocabulary they use.

Another scene I have chosen to show the correlation between language and culture is
a scene from the seventh episode of the first season, where Daenerys and Khal Drogo
are having a conversation in Dothraki language. She tries to convince him to sail with
their army and cross the sea in order to conquer Westeros and take the Iron Throne (the
throne that represents the power in Westeros and that belongs to the king):

“DROGO: Vezh fin saja rhaesheseres vo zigereo adoroon shiqethi. The stallion that mounts
the world has no need for iron chairs.
DAENERYS: K'asi assikhqoyisiri vezh adothrae nakhaan rhaesheseri. According to the
prophecy the stallion will ride to the ends of the world.
DROGO: Sorfosor nakha she Havazzhifi Kazga. Vo hrazef laz yoma evethiz. The earth ends
at The Black Salt Sea. No horse can cross the poison water.
DAENERYS: Sorfosor nakho vosecchi [she havazh]. Sani sorfi vekha yomme [havash]. Sorfo
athyolari anni. The Earth never ends [at the sea]. There are many dirts across [the sea].
The dirts of my birth.
DROGO: Vo sorfo. Rhaeshi. Not dirt. Lands.
DAENERYS: Rhaeshi, sek. Lands, yes.
DAENERYS: Dalen rhaggati evetha ma ale [vekhi she Vaes Seris]: [Hrazef] ido fini ovethi
yomme [havazh]. There are thousands of ships [in the free cities]. Wooden [horses] that
fly across [the sea.]
DROGO: Kisha vastoki vos alikh hrazefi ido m'adori shiqethi. Let's speak no more about
wooden horses or iron chairs.
DAENERYS: Me vos ador. Me...me...throne. It's not a chair. It's...it's...throne.
DROGO: Throne?
DAENERYS: Ador finaan khal nevasoe...che khaleesi. A chair for a king to sit upon...or a
queen.
DROGO: Khal vos zigereo adoroon anevasoe maan. Me zigeree sajosoon disse. A khal
doesn't need a chair to sit on. He only needs a steed.”

Here we can see another example where Dothraki language expresses its costumes.
The fact that there is no word for the concept of “throne” has to do with the nomadic
life of the Dothraki horde. For them, sitting on a chair in order to rule their kingdom
seems absurd, as they are constantly moving and, for their culture, the way of ruling is
by riding their horses. As in their culture there is no concept of “throne”, in their
language there is no word that refers to that concept.

Finally, another scene that helps to illustrate this analysis takes place in the first
episode of season six, where Daenerys has been taken prisoner by the Dothraki, whose
new leader is Khal Moro. Here, she tells them she was a Khaleesi (queen) of the
Dothraki before and asks them to set her free. But Khal Moro says she cannot leave and
must stay in Vaes Dothrak in the temple of Dosh Khaleen (a temple where all widows
of dead khals must remain for the rest of their lives):

“DANY: Anha chiorikemoon ha Khalaan Drogo ki Bharbosi. I was wife to Khal Drogo, son
of Khal Bharbo.

KHAL MORO: Khal Drogo driva. Khal Drogo is dead.

DANY: Anha nesak. Anha avvirsa khadokh moon. I know. I burnt his body.

KHAL MORO: Anha nemo echomosak. Anha vo neso. Me izvena, jin athchilozar ma
khaleenisoon. Vosak ofrakha yera vosecchi, anha astak yeraan asqoy. Forgive me. I did not
know. It is forbidden to lie with a Khal’s widow. No one will touch you, you have my
word.

DANY: Hash shafka vidrisofi anna Mirinaan, hash anha vammelisok mekhalasar shafki nem
vazha dalen hrazef k’azhi anhoon. If you will escort me back to Meereen, I will see that
your khalasar is given a thousand horses as a sign of my gratitude.

KHAL MORO: Hash khal drivoe, hash at gachi disse vekha ha khaleesisaan mae. When a
khal dies, there is only place for his khaleesi.

WIFE #1: Vaes Dothrak. Vaesof Doshi Khaleen. Vaes Dothrak. The Temple of the Dosh
Khaleen.

WIFE #2: Athira asshekhis mae ma khaleenisoa khali drivi. To live out her days with the
widows of dead khals.

WIFE #1: Me nem nesa. It is known.”

In this scene we can see how a word in the Dothraki language expresses a concept
from their culture that is not familiar to the common tongue (which is similar to English
in the real world). In contrast with the previous analysed scenes, here we see the
language expressing a particular costume that is unique for them. The concept of Dosh
Khaleen is not only that of a temple for widowed khaleesis, but also a sacred place, an
honour and some kind of a reward for all those khaleesis who lost their khals. For us it
seems more like a prison than a temple, but for their male – centric society and culture,
this place represents more than just a temple. That is why in their language they have a
special vocabulary to refer to that place (Dosh Khaleen).

Conclusion
From the above analysis, it can be concluded that there is an undeniable correlation
between language and culture. I may not be easy to determine which one depends more
on the other, but it could be claimed that they keep a reciprocal relation where both
have influence on each other.

When asked about the Dothraki language in an interview (Doodle pup, 2017), David
J. Peterson said: “As a language creator, you must start with the culture. You have to
start with the people... you piece together what their life is, and little by little you build
a vocabulary that kind of reflects their worldview in their world, what might their
values be like, what do they see the world as, what’s important for them and what’s
not.” This statement clearly shows how language depends on its culture, but also how it
expresses, embodies and symbolises it.

Although the language I chose for this essay clearly shows the relationship between
language and culture, in order to add more examples that illustrate this relation, more
languages (real or invented) should be analysed. Also in order to complement the
analysis of this essay, further research could be conducted on the grammatical and
phonological features of the Dothraki language and also on its vast and complex
vocabulary.

Appendix
Scripts of the analysed scenes:

Episode 1 Season 1. Winter is coming:

[The scene shifts to the wild wedding celebration of KHAL DROGO and DAENERYS.
Fighting and fornication. DAENERYS looks stricken at everything around her.]

VISERYS: When do I meet with the Khal? We need to begin planning the invasion.

ILLYRIO: If Khal Drogo has promised you a crown, you shall have it.

VISERYS: When?

ILLYRIO: When their omens favor war.

VISERYS: I piss on Dothraki omens. I waited 17 years to get my throne back.

[The sex and violence intensify. Two men fight to the death over a woman each is
trying to rape. KHAL DROGO watches avidly.]

ILLYRIO: A Dothraki wedding without at least three deaths is considered a dull affair.

[A knight in Westerosi garb appears. KHAL DROGO greets him in Dothraki. It is

JORAH MORMONT, bearing books.]

JORAH: A small gift for the new Khaleesi. Songs and histories from the Seven
Kingdoms.
DAENERYS: Thank you, ser. Are you from my country?

JORAH: Ser Jorah Mormont of Bear Island. I served your father for many years. Gods
be good, I hope to always serve the rightful king.

[DANY is presented with a chest with three dragon eggs in it.]

ILLYRIO: Dragons’ eggs, Daenerys. From the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai. The ages
have turned them to stone, but they will always be beautiful.

DAENERYS: Thank you, Magister.

[KHAL DROGO rises and strides forward. DAENERYS follows him, looking sick
with fear. The Dothraki crowd behind her as she goes. The KHAL leads her to a white
mare.]

DAENERYS: She’s beautiful. … Ser Jorah, I don’t know how to say ‘thank you’ in
Dothraki.

JORAH: There is no word for ‘thank you’ in Dothraki.

[The KHAL puts DANY on her horse and mounts his.]

VISERYS: Make him happy.

[The scene shifts to the seaside at sunset. The KHAL begins to unwrap DANY’s dress.
She is sobbing. He touches the tears on her face.]

KHAL DROGO: No.

DAENERYS: Do you know the Common Tongue?

KHAL DROGO: No.

DAENERYS: Is ‘no’ the only word that you know?

KHAL DROGO: No.

[He takes off her gown and bends her down.]

Episode 7 Season 1. You win or you die:

[Entering Khal Drogo's tent, Daenerys is braiding Khal Drogo's hair. The conversation
is spoken in the Dothraki language.]

KHAL DROGO: The stallion who mounts the world, has no need for iron chairs.

DAENERYS STORMBORN: According to the prophecy, the stallions will ride to the
ends of the world.
KHAL DROGO: The earth ends at the black salt sea. No horse can cross the poison
water.

DAENERYS STORMBORN: The earth does not end at the sea, there are many dirts
beyond the sea. The dirt where I was born.

KHAL DROGO: Not dirt. Lands.

DAENERYS STORMBORN: Lands, yes... There are thousands of ships in the free
cities. Wooden horses that fly across the sea.

KHAL DROGO: Let's speak no more of wooden horses and iron chairs.

DAENERYS STORMBORn: It's not a chair. It's a... Throne

KHAL DROGO: Throne?

DAENERYS STORMBORN: A chair for a King to sit upon, or a Queen.

KHAL DROGO: A King does not need a chair to sit upon. He only needs a horse.

[Khal Drogo kisses Daenerys and walks out of the tent.]

Episode 1 Season 6. The red woman:

CUT TO: ESSOS ARID LANDS - DOTHRAKI SETTLEMENT

[The Dothraki folk are tending to their affairs. BLOODRIDER #1 and BLOODRIDER
#2 escort DAENERYS to KHAL MORO’s tent. KHAL MORO is sitting with his wives
and other bloodriders.]

BLOODRIDER #2: For you, my Khal. The white-haired girl we found in the hills.

BLOODRIDER #1 pushes DAENERYS towards KHAL MORO. KHAL MORO

considers her. The attendants speak in Dothraki.

BLOODRIDER #3: Look at those lips, blood of my blood.

WIFE #1: Blue-eyed women are witches.

WIFE #2: It is known.

WIFE#1: Cut off her head, before she casts a spell on you.

KHAL MORO stands and walks around DAENERYS.

KHAL MORO: Even if I was blind, I’d hear my wives say, “Cut off her head” and I’d
know this woman was beautiful. I’m glad I’m not blind. Seeing a beautiful woman
naked for the first time, what is better than that?
BLOODRIDER #3: Killing another Khal?

KHAL MORO: Yes, killing another Khal.

BLOODRIDER #4: Conquering a city and taking her people as slaves, and taking her
idols back to Vaes Dothrak.

BLOODRIDER #3: Breaking a wild horse, forcing it to submit to your will.

KHAL MORO (annoyed): Seeing a beautiful woman naked for the first time is among
the five best things in life.

KHAL MORO grabs DAENERYS by the chest.

DAENERYS (speaking Dothraki): Do not touch me.

[The bloodriders and wives look at each other. KHAL MORO released DAENERYS.]

DAENERYS: I am Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, the First of Her

Name, the Unburnt, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar of the
First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons.

KHAL MORO and his bloodriders laugh. He places his hand on the back of
DAENERYS’ head

KHAL MORO: You are nobody, the millionth of your name, Queen of Nothing, slave
of Khal Moro. Tonight I will lie with you, and if the Great Stallion is kind, you will
give me a son. Do you understand?

DAENERYS: I will not lie with you. And I will bear no children, for you, or anyone
else. Not until the sun rises in the west, and sets in the east.

WIFE #1: I told you she was a witch. Cut off her head.

KHAL MORO: I like her. She has spirit.

DAENERYS: I was wife of Khal Drogo, son of Khal Bharbo.

KHAL MORO takes his hand away from DAENERYS and steps backwards.

KHAL MORO: Khal Drogo is dead.

DAENERYS: I know. I burnt his body.

KHAL MORO: Forgive me. I did not know. It is forbidden to lie with a Khal’s widow.
No one will touch you. You have my word.

KHAL MORO draws his blade and cuts DAENERYS’ bindings.

DAENERYS: If you will escort me back to Meereen, I will see that your khalasar is
given a thousand horses, as a sign of my gratitude.
KHAL MORO: When a Khal dies, there is only one place for his Khaleesi.

KHAL MORO sits down.

WIFE #1: Vaes Dothrak. The Temple of the Dosh Khaleen.

WIFE #2: To live out her days with the widows of dead Khals. It is known.

Scripts in Dothraki language of the episodes analysed:

Episode 1 - Winter is Coming

The first Dothraki we hear is spoken by Illyrio Mopatis when Dany and Viserys are
first introduced to Khal Drogo.

 Illyrio: Athchomar chomakaan, [zhey] khal vezhven. Respect to one that is

respectful, great khal.

 Illyrio: Azha anhaan asshilat... The whole sentence is a translation of what he

had just said in English which was:
May I present my honored guests, Viserys of House Targaryen, the third of his
name, the rightful king of the Andals and the First Men. And his sister,
Daenerys of House Targaryen.

Later during the Dothraki wedding:

 Drogo: Itte oakah! Test your might! This was an adlib by Jason Momoa so the
words and meaning was created to fit what Jason said.

 Drogo: Jadi, zhey Jora Andahli. Come, Jorah the Andal.

 Jorah Mormont: Khal vezhven. Great khal.

Episode 7 - You Win or You Die

 Drogo: Vezh fin saja rhaesheseres vo zigereo adoroon shiqethi. The stallion
that mounts the world has no need for iron chairs.

 Daenerys: K'asi assikhqoyisiri vezh adothrae nakhaan

rhaesheseri. According to the prophecy the stallion will ride to the ends of the
world.

 Drogo: Sorfosor nakha she Havazzhifi Kazga. Vo hrazef laz yoma

evethiz. The earth ends at The Black Salt Sea. No horse can cross the poison
water.
  Daenerys: Sorfosor nakho vosecchi [she havazh]. Sani sorfi vekha yomme
[havash]. Sorfo athyolari anni. The Earth never ends [at the sea]. There are
many dirts across [the sea]. The dirts of my birth.

 Drogo: Vo sorfo. Rhaeshi. Not dirt. Lands.

 Daenerys: Rhaeshi, sek. Lands, yes.

 Daenerys: Dalen rhaggati evetha ma ale [vekhi she Vaes Seris]: [Hrazef] ido
fini ovethi yomme [havazh]. There are thousands of ships [in the free cities].
Wooden [horses] that fly across [the sea.]

 Drogo: Kisha vastoki vos alikh hrazefi ido m'adori shiqethi. Let's speak no
more about wooden horses or iron chairs.

 Daenerys: Me vos ador. Me...me...throne. It's not a chair. It's...it's...throne.

 Drogo: Throne?

 Daenerys: Ador finaan khal nevasoe...che khaleesi. A chair for a king to sit
upon...or a queen.

 Drogo: Khal vos zigereo adoroon anevasoe maan. Me zigeree sajosoon

disse. A khal doesn't need a chair to sit on. He only needs a steed.

 Wine Merchant: Virzetha gizikhven! Mra qora! Mra qora! Sweet reds. I have
it. I have it.

 Wine Merchant: Virzetha gizikhven! Virzethi gizikhven vekha m'anhoon,

Lysoon, Volantisoon, ma Halahisiroon. Sweet reds! I have sweet reds from
Lys, Volantis and the Arbor.

 Wine Merchant: Sovikh Tirosh! Jelavena Andahloa. Mra qora! Mra

qora! Tyroshi pear brandy. Andhalish sours! I have them! I have them!

 Wine Merchant: Lekhi ha khaleesisaan? M'anhoon vekha virzethi

gizkhvena Dornoon, zhey erinak. A taste for the khaleesi? I have a sweet red
from Dorne, my lady.

 Wine Merchant: At lekhi ma shafka ahakee yal hakesoon anni. One taste and
you'll name your first child after me.

 Jorah: Rakharo, azzohi haz khogare. Rakharo, put down that cask.

Later we have Drogo's speech:

 Drogo: Zhey jalan atthirari anni. Hash azisi? Moon of my live. Are you hurt?
  Drogo: Jora Andahli, okki zhille hrazef fin allayafa shafka drogikhoon
anni. Me shafki. Jorah the Andal, [I heard what you did] choose any horse you
wish [from my herd]. It's yours.

 Drogo: Anha asshilak jin azh shafkea haji rekoon et shafka. I make this gift
to you for what you did.

 Drogo: Ma rizhaan anni, vezh fin asaja rhaesheseres, maan anha valloshak
azh akka. And to my son, the stallion who will mount the world, I will also
pledge a gift.

 Drogo: Maan anha vazhak jin ador shiqethi finaan neva ave maisi mae. I
will give him the iron chair that his mothers father sat upon.

 Drogo: Anha vazhak maan Rhaeshis Andahli. Anha, zhey Drogo, atak jin. I
will give The Lands of the Andals. I, Drogo, will do this.

 Drogo: Anha vidrik khalasares anni jim, finaan nakhoe rhaesheser, majin
adothrak hrazef ido yomme Havazzhifi Kazga ven et vo khal avvos. I will
take my khalasar west to where the world ends and ride wooden horses across
the black salt sea as no khal has done before.

 Drogo: Anha vaddrivak mahrazhis fini ondee khogar shiqethi ma vohharak

okrenegwin mori. I will kill the men in iron suits and tear down their stone
houses.

 Drogo: Anha aqorisok chiories mori, vazzafrok yal mori, ma afichak vojjor
samva Vaesaan Dothrak. I will rape their women, take their children as slaves
and bring their broken gods back to Vaes Dothrak.

 Drogo: Ki jini anha astak asqoy, anha, Drogo ki Bharbosi. This i vow Drogo
son of Bharbo.

 Drogo: Ki jini anha astak asqoy hatif Maisi Krazaaji kash shieraki vitihiri
asavvasoon. Asavvasoon! Asavvasoon! I swear before the mother of
mountains as the stars look down in witness. As the stars look down in witness.

Episode 1 Season 6 - The Red Woman

Two Dothraki riders comment on Daenerys.

 Qhono: Ishish me tih leyes. Mai okeosi inavvasi anni tih leyes majin noreth
moon zasqaso. Maybe she saw a ghost. My sister’s friend’s mother saw a ghost
and her hair turned white.

 Akho: Hannavenaki rokhi shekhes. Me avvirsae ilek moroa. Majin jin

hannaveneesi, ishish me kovara torga shekhi k’athneakari sekke majin
 noreth zasqasoe. Pink people are afraid of the sun. It burns their skin. So this
pink girl, she probably stands too long in the sun and her hair goes white.

 Qhono: Hash yer dirgi megech mae hemee ma norethoon zasqa akka? Hash
yer ray chilo ma nayatoon ma qeviroon lajaki zasqa? You think she’s got
white pussy hair, too? You ever been with a girl with white pussy hair?

 Akho: Kash anha hile kristasof yeri disse. Only when I was fucking your
grandma.

 Qhono: Anha aqafak zhey Khaloon Moro ajjalanes ma yeroon. Fin yer
dirgi? I’ll ask Khal Moro for a night with you. What do you think?

 Akho: Tihi zheana, vosma me tokik. Pretty eyes, but she’s an idiot.

 Qhono: Anha vo zigerok memé deva ahilek mae vi choyokh. She doesn’t
have to be smart to get fucked in the ass.

 Akho: Me allayafa anna vasterat irge me nakhoe. Hash vos, hash kisha
janaan. I like to talk when I’m finished. Otherwise, we might as well be dogs.

Daenerys is presented to Khal Moro.

 Akho: Ha shafkea, zhey Khal anni. Nayat nharesi vizhada mekisha ezish
sh’olta. For you, my Khal. The white-haired girl we found in the hills.

 Bloodrider #1: Tihis jin hethis, zhey qoy qoyi. Look at those lips, blood of my
blood.

 Wife #1: Chiorisi tihi chandri maegi. Blue-eyed women are witches.

 Wife #2: Me nem nesa. It is known.

 Wife #1: Zirisses nhare moon hatif me ta movekh yeraan. Cut off her head
before she casts a spell on you.

 Khal Moro: Hash anha azisirek, hash anha acharak mechiorikemis anni asti
ki, “Zirisses nhare moon”, majin anha anesak sekosshi mejin chiori
zheanae. Even if I was blind, I’d hear my wives say, “Cut off her head,” and I’d
know this woman is beautiful.

 Khal Moro: Me allayafa anna m’anha vo zisirok. Tihat chiories zheana

k’athzhonathari hatif eyaki – fin adavrana? I’m glad I’m not blind. Seeing a
beautiful woman naked for the first time – what is better than that?

 Bloodrider #1: Atthasat eshna khales. Killing another Khal.

 Khal Moro: Sek, atthasat eshna khales. Yes, killing another Khal.
 Bloodrider #2: Assilat vaes majin azzafrolat gimisires mae majin yanqolat
jor mae Vaesaan Dothrak. Conquering a city and taking her people as slaves
and taking her idols back to Vaes Dothrak.

 Bloodrider #1: Vishaferat hrazef chafi; iffat krazaaj mesi k’oakahi. Breaking
a wild horse, forcing a half ton of muscle to submit to your will.

 Khal Moro: Tihat chiories zheana k’athzhonathari hatif eyaki – me vi mek

athnakhar adavranaz atthiraroon. Seeing a beautiful woman naked for the
first time – it is among the five best things in life.

 Dany: Vo frakho anna vosecchi. Do not touch me.

 Dany: Anha Daenerys Vazyol h’Okreseroon Targeryen, Atak ma Hakesoon

Mae, Osavvirsak, Khaleesi Mirini, Khaleesi m’Andahli ma Roynari
m’Ataki, Khaleesi Havazhofi Hranni, ma Haggey-Assamvak ma Mai
Zhavorsi. I am Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, the First of Her
Name, the Unburnt, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar
and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains and
Mother of Dragons.

 Khal Moro: Yer vosak, yorak ma hakesoon yeri, Khaleesi Vosi, zafra Khali
Moro. You are nobody, the millionth of your name, Queen of Nothing, slave of
Khal Moro.

 Khal Moro: Ajjalan anha achilok ma yeroon, ma hash Vezhof erina, hash
yer vayyoe anhaan rizhes. Hash yer tihoe? Tonight I will lie with you, and if
the Great Stallion is kind you will give me a son. Do you understand?

 Dany: Anha vos ochilok ma shafkoa vosecchi. M’anha vo vayyok vo yal che
ha shafkea che h’eshnakaan. Avvos vosma shekh yola she jimma ma drivoe
she titha. I will not lie with you. And I will bear no children, for you or anyone
else. Not until the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.

 Wife #1: Anha ast yeraan, me maegi. Zirisses nhare moon. I told you she is a
witch. Cut off her head.

 Khal Moro: Me allayafa anna. Athvadar mra qora. I like her. She has spirit.

 Dany: Anha chiorikemoon ha Khalaan Drogo ki Bharbosi. I was wife to

Khal Drogo, son of Khal Bharbo.

 Khal Moro: Khal Drogo driva. Khal Drogo is dead.

 Dany: Anha nesak. Anha avvirsa khadokh moon. I know. I burnt his body.

 Khal Moro: Anha nemo echomosak. Anha vo neso. Me izvena, jin

athchilozar ma khaleenisoon. Vosak ofrakha yera vosecchi, anha astak
 yeraan asqoy. Forgive me. I did not know. It is forbidden to lie with a Khal’s
widow. No one will touch you, you have my word.

 Dany: Hash shafka vidrisofi anna Mirinaan, hash anha vammelisok

mekhalasar shafki nem vazha dalen hrazef k’azhi anhoon. If you will escort
me back to Meereen, I will see that your khalasar is given a thousand horses as
a sign of my gratitude.

 Khal Moro: Hash khal drivoe, hash at gachi disse vekha ha khaleesisaan
mae. When a khal dies, there is only place for his khaleesi.

 Wife #1: Vaes Dothrak. Vaesof Doshi Khaleen. Vaes Dothrak. The Temple of
the Dosh Khaleen.

 Wife #2: Athira asshekhis mae ma khaleenisoa khali drivi. To live out her
days with the widows of dead khals.

 Wife #1: Me nem nesa. It is known.

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Sapir, E. (1929). The Status of Linguistics as a Science. University of Chicago:

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