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Daenerys and how many languages she speaks


Rosetta Stone

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13 minutes ago, Widowmaker 811 said:

High Valyrian is the language of the upperest of the upper class.  It is not practical in Westeros but you can understand why the royal Targaryens will have been taught.  It is part of their heritage.  Prince Viserys must have had the very best education and he then passed all he knew to little Dany during their travels.  It is said that children pick up a language easier and that will partly explain how it is that Dany speaks many tongues.  This is similar to Emperor Hirohito of Japan.  He spoke a Japanese that was no longer in common use. 

Understandable. Except, why then does Viserys never speak it? Even when speaking in hushes to Dany making threats at her and insulting the Dothraki? He obviously didnt want to be heard. So why not just speak in Valyrian?

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Perhaps, in the free cities, where everyone speaks Valyrian after their local fashion, Viserys was more concerned about keeping his Common tongue fluent? After all, he was only six when he left Westeros, and formal lessons don't usually begin earlier than that. It is not like languages stay with you if you don't use them.

In real life, because kids have to learn a whole lot of other things before they have the attention span and the fine motor skills they need to read and write and comprehend, it is rare for a child to be reading and writing much before this. In Westeros, the youngest child we see being taught by the maester is Rickon, aged four - and really, he is tagging along with Bran because his mother and Robb etc are not there. Both he and Bran are really pestering Maester Luwin while he tries to do other stuff, not participating in any formal studies. the way Shireen, Edric and Daven do. Although we know from things they say that Bran, Arya, Sansa, Jon, Robb, and Theon have all had formal tutoring from Maester Luwin.

As High Valyrian is usually taught as a written language, by maesters, Viserys might have missed out on it, or simply not applied himself the way Dany did. Or maybe he is speaking High Valyrian to Dany most of the time, and he only switches to the Common Tongue when it is stated that is what he is talking in.

Maybe he figures the Dothraki know enough of the low dialects to guess he is impolitically insulting them. Except that he really doesn't give a damn what his inferiors think of him, and is forever insulting servants and threatening them for just doing their jobs. Also, Dany constantly turning in her saddle to look anxiously at the people he is talking about, might clue them in well enough without them having to understand a word of any language he speaks.

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On 2/7/2018 at 3:30 AM, direpupy said:

1. The common tongue, High Valyrian,  Bastard Valyrian with a Tyroshi accent (this seems to be the trade tongue or trade talk mentioned in the books), Dothraki, and she is learning Ghiscari (the modern version based on a mix of High Valyrian and Old Ghiscari) and because she has spent her life in the Free Cities she might have some knowledge of there languages especially because they are based on High Valyrian which she knows.

2. She was used as a translator and seems to have been trained by her former masters specifically for that role so obviously she has a talent for languages and would know all they important ones for trade.

3. The common tongue, Dothraki and he seems to speak several of the languages of the free cities like Volantene and Tyroshi.

4. The common tongue and High Valyrian, possibly some of the languages of the Free Cities because of his time spent there.

5. Asshaii, The common tongue, High Valyrian and possibbly more.

I would like to know if the free cities each have its own language.  We know they have accents.  Syrio, Saladhor, Daario, Illyrio have their own accent. 

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On 2/12/2018 at 7:17 AM, AlaskanSandman said:

Understandable. Except, why then does Viserys never speak it? Even when speaking in hushes to Dany making threats at her and insulting the Dothraki? He obviously didnt want to be heard. So why not just speak in Valyrian?

Dany knowing High Valyrian almost guarantees Viserys also having that language.  If somebody taught Dany they also taught Viserys.  If Dany picked it up on her own Viserys also picked it up on his own. 

Viserys was foolish.  He was cowardly and had a short temper.  I don't think he had a low IQ.  He was resourceful enough to survive in the streets of foreign countries.  That is something not everyone can do. 

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28 minutes ago, Rosetta Stone said:

Dany knowing High Valyrian almost guarantees Viserys also having that language.  If somebody taught Dany they also taught Viserys.  If Dany picked it up on her own Viserys also picked it up on his own. 

Viserys was foolish.  He was cowardly and had a short temper.  I don't think he had a low IQ.  He was resourceful enough to survive in the streets of foreign countries.  That is something not everyone can do. 

 

Quote

 

A Game of Thrones - Daenerys III

"Take his horse," Dany commanded Ser Jorah. Viserys gaped at her. He could not believe what he was hearing; nor could Dany quite believe what she was saying. Yet the words came. "Let my brother walk behind us back to the khalasar." Among the Dothraki, the man who does not ride was no man at all, the lowest of the low, without honor or pride. "Let everyone see him as he is."
"No!" Viserys screamed. He turned to Ser Jorah, pleading in the Common Tongue with words the horsemen would not understand. "Hit her, Mormont. Hurt her. Your king commands it. Kill these Dothraki dogs and teach her."
The exile knight looked from Dany to her brother; she barefoot, with dirt between her toes and oil in her hair, he with his silks and steel. Dany could see the decision on his face. "He shall walk, Khaleesi," he said. He took her brother's horse in hand while Dany remounted her silver.

 

 
 
I dont know, the Dothraki should understand Valyrian less than the Common Tongue.
High Valyrian hasn't been a language for 400 years. Go back and try to read and understand English from 400 years ago and see if you can understand it compared to todays dialects of it. Not happening unless your a scholar. Speaking for the Dothraki that is. 
So Viserys would be better off speaking High Valyrian as opposed to the Common Tongue or Pentoshi Valyrian or such. Both actively spoken in those times. 
Whether Martin considered this or not idk. But if Viserys speaks HighValyrian, it would sound way different than the Bastard Valyrian presently spoken.
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On 16-2-2018 at 5:57 AM, AlaskanSandman said:

I dont know, the Dothraki should understand Valyrian less than the Common Tongue.

High Valyrian hasn't been a language for 400 years. Go back and try to read and understand English from 400 years ago and see if you can understand it compared to todays dialects of it. Not happening unless your a scholar. Speaking for the Dothraki that is. 
So Viserys would be better off speaking High Valyrian as opposed to the Common Tongue or Pentoshi Valyrian or such. Both actively spoken in those times. 
Whether Martin considered this or not idk. But if Viserys speaks HighValyrian, it would sound way different than the Bastard Valyrian presently spoken.

He is speaking to Jorah Mormont in your quote, Jorah speaks the languages of the Free Cities but i do not know if he speaks High Valyrian. And there is the possibility Viserys thinking of Jorah as someone from westeros might never have considered or asked if Jorah spoke anything exept the Common Tongue. So his choice of the Common Tongue in your example says nothing about Viserys his ability to speak High Valyrian.

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On 2/12/2018 at 11:17 PM, AlaskanSandman said:

Understandable. Except, why then does Viserys never speak it? Even when speaking in hushes to Dany making threats at her and insulting the Dothraki? He obviously didnt want to be heard. So why not just speak in Valyrian?

Dothraki trade with the Free Cities. Even if they don't speak a language themelves, they would have translators for them. Khal Drogo doesn't have that much trouble learning workable Valyrian after he marries Dany, though, indicating that Dothraki learn languages as a matter of course when they think it will be useful to them.

The Dothraki call Jorah "the Andal" which suggests that his ethnicity is a bit alien to them. I don't think they'd have heard anyone speak his language in their lives.

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4 hours ago, Yukle said:

Dothraki trade with the Free Cities. Even if they don't speak a language themelves, they would have translators for them. Khal Drogo doesn't have that much trouble learning workable Valyrian after he marries Dany, though, indicating that Dothraki learn languages as a matter of course when they think it will be useful to them.

The Dothraki call Jorah "the Andal" which suggests that his ethnicity is a bit alien to them. I don't think they'd have heard anyone speak his language in their lives.

Are you thinking about what your typing?...

One, Andals supposedly come from Andalos, so should be just as understandable.

Second, Drogo learns the common tongue with Dany, i dont recall her teaching him Valyrian.

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10 hours ago, direpupy said:

He is speaking to Jorah Mormont in your quote, Jorah speaks the languages of the Free Cities but i do not know if he speaks High Valyrian. And there is the possibility Viserys thinking of Jorah as someone from westeros might never have considered or asked if Jorah spoke anything exept the Common Tongue. So his choice of the Common Tongue in your example says nothing about Viserys his ability to speak High Valyrian.

I can find you plenty more lol but yes, in this one example he is also speaking to Jorah hahaha zzzzz

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49 minutes ago, AlaskanSandman said:

Are you thinking about what your typing?...

One, Andals supposedly come from Andalos, so should be just as understandable.

Second, Drogo learns the common tongue with Dany, i dont recall her teaching him Valyrian.

I may misremember the second part, I thought she teaches him her language, which is Valyrian (as she points out when "selling" Drogon).

Andals do come from Andalos, and is there any mention of the Dothraki trading with them? They mention trade with the Free Cities and Slaver's Bay, but not Andalos. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just that it isn't mentioned.

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On February 4, 2018 at 8:21 PM, Lady Dacey said:

Don't forget Arya :huh:

Arya is really boring. The only language she learned was in Braavos. Having one extra language that you still do not speak very well is a far cry from the amazing talent like Danaerys Stormborn. It is no wonder that Danaerys is Martin's favorite character. He just writes her so perfect. 

 

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43 minutes ago, Yukle said:

I may misremember the second part, I thought she teaches him her language, which is Valyrian (as she points out when "selling" Drogon).

Andals do come from Andalos, and is there any mention of the Dothraki trading with them? They mention trade with the Free Cities and Slaver's Bay, but not Andalos. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just that it isn't mentioned.

Sorry i was writing quick and came out snarkier than i meant haha 

Andalos stretched to present day Pentos and infact the origins of Pentos supposedly predate Valyria. So likely the Andals spent alot of time here. Ive brought this up else where when bashing what Maesters say of Andals building round towers and better structures than the first men. Yet Pentos and Braavos are all square buildings and there are no known ruins in all the lands that were once Andalos. The Rhoynar left stuff, but not the Andals.

The Andals spent alot of time here and there culture, language, and architecture should still be evident there. Even with the Valyrian influence that came later. That strangely didn't effect the architecture. 

The Dothraki who only came from the East 400 years ago should know the Andal tongue as much as they would the Rhoynish, Sarnori, or Valyrians. 

The Tongue of the First men is different than the Andals. So my best argument haha :D 

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6 minutes ago, direpupy said:

I look forward to seeing your other examples then.

 

Quote

 

A Game of Thrones - Daenerys IV

"So many," she said as her silver stepped slowly onward, "and from so many lands."
Viserys was less impressed. "The trash of dead cities," he sneered. He was careful to speak in the Common Tongue, which few Dothraki could understand, yet even so Dany found herself glancing back at the men of her khas, to make certain he had not been overheard. He went on blithely. "All these savages know how to do is steal the things better men have built … and kill." He laughed. "They do know how to kill. Otherwise I'd have no use for them at all."
"They are my people now," Dany said. "You should not call them savages, brother."

 

Its ok, i look forward to you looking ignorant with out another word need spoken ;) 
 
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57 minutes ago, AlaskanSandman said:

 

Its ok, i look forward to you looking ignorant with out another word need spoken ;) 
 

 

55 minutes ago, AlaskanSandman said:

I've found rather than blatantly arguing with people, sometimes it's best to research what your about to say.

I said it out of an honest interest in they examples you said you had. Just like my first response was merely a observation of the quote you used, so i do not get your hostility towards me.

Are you here to partisipate in this tread or just be insulting to people?

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On 2/19/2018 at 1:31 AM, direpupy said:

 

I said it out of an honest interest in they examples you said you had. Just like my first response was merely a observation of the quote you used, so i do not get your hostility towards me.

Are you here to partisipate in this tread or just be insulting to people?

Lol oh i thought we were participating in a friendly debate. That's why i included the smiley haha and all i did was explain the hopeful out come of the retort. Ignorance is just a lack of knowing and not an insult in and of it self. Sorry i get typing fast when i pop in to respond and somethings are just lost in translation of written word with no tonal implication i guess to better get the glib. 

Other than that derail? I hope i still made my point, Viserys is speaking in common tongue to Dany. He never once, even at need, speaks in another tongue other than the common tongue. 

And yet, Drogo understands every word when Dany first talks to him. He just doesnt care. I know its missed alot. 

We are told that Jorah is later translating for Viserys in the tent. This is irrelevant. Jorah may not know that Drogo understand him. Drogo does understand Dany from the get go. 

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On 22-2-2018 at 3:59 AM, AlaskanSandman said:

Lol oh i thought we were participating in a friendly debate. That's why i included the smiley haha and all i did was explain the hopeful out come of the retort. Ignorance is just a lack of knowing and not an insult in and of it self. Sorry i get typing fast when i pop in to respond and somethings are just lost in translation of written word with no tonal implication i guess to better get the glib. 

Other than that derail? I hope i still made my point, Viserys is speaking in common tongue to Dany. He never once, even at need, speaks in another tongue other than the common tongue. 

And yet, Drogo understands every word when Dany first talks to him. He just doesnt care. I know its missed alot. 

We are told that Jorah is later translating for Viserys in the tent. This is irrelevant. Jorah may not know that Drogo understand him. Drogo does understand Dany from the get go. 

It is interesting that he does not speak any other language in the books, but it also seems strange he has been traveling around the free cities for 15 odd years how do you do that when you do not at least learn some of the languages spoken there. There is simply not always going to be a translator.

I guess it could be an oversite of GRRM

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5 hours ago, direpupy said:

It is interesting that he does not speak any other language in the books, but it also seems strange he has been traveling around the free cities for 15 odd years how do you do that when you do not at least learn some of the languages spoken there. There is simply not always going to be a translator.

I guess it could be an oversite of GRRM

I wonder about this with a few things. Frickin Tryion doing summersalts when we first meet him lol

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