Embarking on a language learning quest often raises the question: how long will it take? This is especially true when tackling a language like High Valyrian, the fictional language of dragons and a bygone era in the popular series Game of Thrones. This article chronicles a week-long journey using Duolingo to learn High Valyrian, providing insights into the process and progress made.
Decoding the Dragon’s Tongue: A Week of High Valyrian
High Valyrian, as described by Duolingo, is the language of the ancient Valyrian Freehold, a civilization destroyed centuries before the events of Game of Thrones. While once spoken by dragonlords and warriors, it now represents refinement and education, a linguistic echo of a lost world. This language, famously spoken by Daenerys Targaryen, holds allure for fans seeking a deeper connection to the Game of Thrones universe.
First Steps: Family Matters
Day one focused on foundational vocabulary: “kepa” (father), “happy father,” and terms for identifying family members (mother, brother, sister). This initial lesson laid the groundwork for basic sentence construction and introduced core vocabulary.
Beyond the Basics: Pleasantries and Famous Phrases
Day two expanded the vocabulary to include essential greetings like “yes,” “no,” “welcome,” “please,” and “thank you.” Crucially, it introduced the iconic phrase “valar morghulis,” meaning “all men must die,” a phrase instantly recognizable to any Game of Thrones enthusiast.
Finding My Voice: Verbal Practice and Emilia Clarke Impressions
Day three delved into verbs like “see,” “love,” and “hear.” The focus shifted towards pronunciation and verbal practice, even inspiring some (comically bad) attempts at emulating Daenerys Targaryen’s distinctive speech.
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Expanding the Lexicon: Admiration, Guests, and Swords
Day four introduced the word for “admire,” along with “guest” and “sword,” sparking humorous reflections on the potentially inhospitable nature of the Valyrians. The learning process continued to build upon previous lessons, incorporating new words into increasingly complex sentences.
Fluency Dreams and the Reality of Fiction
By day five, a sense of progress emerged, with the language beginning to sound more natural. However, the reminder that High Valyrian is a constructed language, created for the show, brought a touch of grounding to the experience.
Feminist Phrases and Linguistic Aspirations
Day six brought more complex vocabulary, including words like “owls” and “Unsullied.” Notably, the sample sentences took on a more feminist tone, with phrases like “vali kirini issi se ābri sylvī issi” (“the men are happy and the women are wise”) standing out. The experience ignited a genuine appreciation for the language and sparked a desire to learn more.
From Valar Morghulis to Valar Dohaeris: The Journey Continues
While a week is hardly enough to achieve fluency in any language, even a fictional one, this experiment highlights the accessibility and engaging nature of learning High Valyrian through Duolingo. The journey uncovered not only new vocabulary and grammatical structures but also a deeper appreciation for the intricacies of language creation and the cultural context it embodies. The question of how long it takes to learn High Valyrian remains open-ended, dependent on individual dedication and learning style. However, this initial foray demonstrates that even a few days can unlock a surprising amount of progress and ignite a passion for this unique language.
