Athchomar chomakaan!

Gesundheit!

Oh, I’m sorry. You were saying “Hello” in Dothraki? I’ve often wanted to learn more about your language. (Since you’re conquering the world, it seems like a good idea.) But I’m too poor to afford a tutor.

What’s that? For merely $19.99 I can purchase Living Language Dothraki, a language guidebook and audio CD featuring 200 words and phrases, from the HBO shop? If only I could thank you! Oh, you don’t say, I couldn’t anyway because your language doesn’t have a word for “thank you”?!

Living Language Dothraki brings the world of Game of Thrones to life with a conversational language course teaching Dothraki, the language developed for the HBO series by linguish David J. Peterson and first seen in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series.

The 120-page coursebook features a step-by-step guide to pronunciation, basic phrases, easy-to-follow grammar explanation and examples, extensive thematic vocabulary lists, dialogue and exercises for reinformcement. Living Language Dothraki also includes a one-hour audio CD of essential phrases and vocabulary so that leaners can speak Dothraki with confidence. Additional notes about the language and the culture of the Dothraki people appear throughout the coursebook to give the language context.

Matt Fowler of IGN gathered additional insights from the creator of Dothraki, David J. Peterson:

Like a traditional language course, users will learn vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and even cultural notes, which lay out context as well as dos and don’ts. For example, since horses are so central to Dothraki culture, many phrases have their roots in the equestrian. Whatever you do, never call a Dothraki warrior anifak (walker): the ultimate insult since it implies he can no longer ride his horse.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Living Language to produce the first official Dothraki text,” says Peterson. “This book will take you from arakh to zhavvorsa in no time, and the audio samples will help you perfect your pronunciation. I often get the question, ‘When will there be a Dothraki guide I can buy?’ The answer is now, thanks to Living Language. Me nem nesa!”

[Thanks to Andrew Porter for the story.]