Learn Dothraki on your Iphone

You’ve got a while until season 5 of A Game of Thrones starts, so perhaps you are looking for something to do in order to kill the time? Something productive, that will come in useful in the near  future (so long as that future includes heading to a nomadic land full of warriors), perhaps then it is time to learn Dothraki.

Years ago, when Star Trek was hugely popular, many fans took it upon themselves to learn Klingon. You have to remember that this was at a time before the Internet was invented (or at least mainstream in the way it is today), so much of it was done in small social groups, at conventions or by trading notes. Today, applications and software make learning a language much, much easier and, not content with the current offerings of Japanese, German, Spanish, French, etc on the Apple App Store, Random House have released a Dothraki Language App.

Fans of the hit HBO series Game of Thrones can now learn the Dothraki language. Written by David J. Peterson, who developed the language for the HBO series, the Dothraki Companion app will arm you with enough vocabulary and grammar to have a complete conversation in Dothraki. Me nem nesa!*

The app includes interactive games, over 300 vocabulary flashcards, a comprehensive grammar summary, culture notes, and a conversational dialogue. The Living Language Dothraki Companion app can be used with the Living Language Dothraki book and audio course and the Living Language Dothraki Expanded Online Course for extra practice, or on its own for a comprehensive Dothraki learning experience on the go.

*Me nem nesa! = It is known!

When I downloaded it I was expecting a few choice phrases, but the thing is incredibly comprehensive when you consider the fictional nature of the language. Also, the way that you are taught Dothraki is logical and the software, rather than being a fun novelty, could actually teach you a thing or two. You’ll pick up Dothraki pronunciation, vocab, grammar and dialogue.

The language app was made with the television series in mind (so you will notice the accents and coarse nature of the speech match the authors’), however it was compiled and guestimated through usage of George R.R. Martin’s novels; it follows a subject-verb-object order and uses four vowels.

The app will cost you $3.99 / £2.49 of your non-fictional monies, but the app does offer more than just a dictionary: you’ll find memorization games and be able to have practice conversations. I’m not sure it will ever take off to the extent Klingon did, but it’s good fun nonetheless and if you’re looking for something to do on a morning commute that will impress the heck out of con-goers or the friends you watch Game of Thrones with then this is certainly worth its cost per hour.

You can find out more about the app and download it here. Oh, and if you are really keen then HBO have released a full book, CD package and online course too!

Print Friendly