Tongues of the world

The tongues of the world

What dracarys and valar morghulis truly mean, the words the horselords ride by, and how much of these languages the books actually set down — as against the screen.

High Valyrian

Эти немногие фразы — почти весь высокий валирийский, что изданные книги приводят целиком. Наречие старого Фригольда живёт на странице лишь горстью слов и бастардными валирийскими диалектами Вольных Городов — каждый город отошёл от языка-матери своим путём. Беглый, полностью склоняемый язык, что звучит на экране, построен для съёмок филологом нашего собственного мира и простирается много дальше того, что записывают романы; хроника отмечает его как экранизацию, не как канон.

Dothraki

The tongues of Westeros & beyond

What does dracarys mean?

Dracarys is High Valyrian for “dragonfire,” and it is the single word a dragon is taught to obey — the command Daenerys Targaryen uses to bid her dragons loose their flames. It is the shortest and most terrible order in the tongue of old Valyria.

What does valar morghulis mean?

Valar morghulis is High Valyrian for “all men must die.” It serves the Braavosi as greeting, farewell, and password alike; the proper answer is valar dohaeris — “all men must serve.” Together they bind death and duty into a single creed.

What does khaleesi mean?

Khaleesi is the Dothraki word for a khal's queen — his wife. A khal is a warlord who leads a khalasar, the whole riding band of warriors, families, slaves and herds that follows him. Daenerys carries the title as the wife of Khal Drogo.

Are the languages in the books as complete as the show's?

No. The novels set down only a scattering of High Valyrian phrases and a modest Dothraki vocabulary. The fluent, fully grammatical languages heard in the television adaptation were built for the screen by a philologist and go far beyond anything the books record — the chronicle treats them as adaptation, not canon.