Author Topic: "Today is a good day to die."  (Read 5813 times)

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Niqolay

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"Today is a good day to die."
« on: June 19, 2013, 02:19:14 pm »
I always like it when creators invent constructed languages for their fictional worlds (or, as is usually the case these days, they get someone else to do it), and since I enjoy GoT and ASOIAF, I thought it would be fun to try to learn Dothraki. My first conlang was Klingon, which I've been working with on and off since the late 90s, and so for my first attempt at Dothraki I decided to try a phrase from that other language of warriors, "Today is a good day to die." My best attempt is Asshekh asshekh davra drivolat, though I'm not sure if the repeated "asshekh" is awkward, or if I've used the infinitive quite right. Would Asshekh davrae drivolat work better, perhaps?

Najahho

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Re: "Today is a good day to die."
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2013, 07:14:53 pm »
Hasn't DJP mentioned a distinction between "day" and "today"? I don't seem to be able to find the post or note... someone maybe does?

Also I don't think the infinitive can be used like that, I think you need some other kind of construction, but I might be wrong here.
Athhajar vidrie anna ayyey

Niqolay

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Re: "Today is a good day to die."
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2013, 07:39:22 pm »
Hasn't DJP mentioned a distinction between "day" and "today"? I don't seem to be able to find the post or note... someone maybe does?

Also I don't think the infinitive can be used like that, I think you need some other kind of construction, but I might be wrong here.

If there is a distinction, it's not obviously reflected in the vocabulary page on the wiki, which just says

    asshekh [aʃʃex]

    adv. today
    ni. today
    na. day

The animacy distinction between "today" and "day" doesn't really come across, though. "Jin asshekh asshekh davra drivolat", perhaps (assuming the infinitive doesn't need fixing too)?

Edit: I tried rephrasing it as Athdrivar adavrae asshekh, "Today, death will be good", though now that I look at the English glosses in the vocabulary list, perhaps "davra" isn't the right root word for what I want.
« Last Edit: June 19, 2013, 07:49:56 pm by nIqo »

Niqolay

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Re: "Today is a good day to die."
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2013, 11:17:47 am »
I've tried my hand at a few more sentences. How did I do?

I am learning Dothraki. I'm enjoying learning it, but it's not easy, and I don't always get it right.
Anha nesok lekhes Dothraki. Nesolat mae allayafa anna, vosma me vo diso, ma anha vo jilok ayyey.

That's not a good idea.
Hazi vo dirge davra.

I will become the strongest.
Anha vahajanazok.

Keep Off The Grass.
Vos Ifo She Hranna.

There is only one god, and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to death: "Not today."
At vojjori vekha disse, ma hake mae Athdrivar. Ma kisha astaki at vekhikh athdrivaraan disse: "Vos asshekh."

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
She athevozar, Vojjor mov ma asavvaes ma sorfosores.

The wind does not respect a fool. (Another Klingon proverb.)
Chaf vo chomo tokikaan.

"We should start back," Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them. "The wildlings are dead."
"Kisha jif evaki essalat," Gared annithi kash feshithisir ev kazgasolat oleth mori. "Ivezhaki drivi."
(Incidentally, I'm surprised that there's not a word for "around" yet... "oleth" seemed like the most closest option in this case.)
« Last Edit: June 21, 2013, 11:55:50 am by Niqolay »

Havazhyol

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Re: "Today is a good day to die."
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2013, 12:23:24 pm »
I think I'll paint a sign with Vos Ifo She Hranna for my garden.  ::)

Incidentally, I'm surprised that there's not a word for "around" yet... "oleth" seemed like the most closest option in this case.

I would have worked with fir adj. round or fire ni. ring, circle. I don't know if I get it right but oleth concerns what's above, what is higher than the subjet, it does not affect the right "axis".
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Niqolay

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Re: "Today is a good day to die."
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2013, 12:36:06 pm »
I would have worked with fir adj. round or fire ni. ring, circle. I don't know if I get it right but oleth concerns what's above, what is higher than the subjet, it does not affect the right "axis".

I thought about trying something with fir but decided not to press my luck by attempting too many fancy tricks in the beginning of my Dothraki studies. Oleth made sense to me in this particular case because the trees stretch above them, and thus the forest would also be getting dark above them. Certainly, I wouldn't use oleth as a generic substitute for "around".

Edit: How would one use fir in this case, anyway? Something like an adverbial ki firi?
« Last Edit: June 21, 2013, 12:56:07 pm by Niqolay »

Havazhyol

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Re: "Today is a good day to die."
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2013, 02:54:34 pm »
According to what I read on the wiki, contemporary dothraki could go for k'atfirezari (elided version of ki + noun fire with circumfix ath__ar in genitive declinasion) but it targets manner adverbs, and I can't tell for sure if around is a manner adverb.

The non-contemporary, if I understood right (and if it was used) would be firre.

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Niqolay

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Re: "Today is a good day to die."
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2013, 04:21:59 pm »
According to what I read on the wiki, contemporary dothraki could go for k'atfirezari (elided version of ki + noun fire with circumfix ath__ar in genitive declinasion) but it targets manner adverbs, and I can't tell for sure if around is a manner adverb.

Well, in this case it'd be a preposition, since it has an object, mori. Ath- -(z)ar is for making nouns out of other classes, though, and fire is already a noun. Looking over the vocabulary list, I see gache, "place, environs". Maybe something like she gache mori, meaning, "in/on their environs" or less literally "in/on the area where they are", might convey the idea of a thing happening in the general area surrounding someone.

K'athfirevenari might work as an adverbial form, derived from fireven, "ringlike", so k'athfirevenari would mean something like "by ringlikeness". Though, I'm not sure if that would necessary convey the same idea as "around", or if it would mean something more like doing something in circles.

Edit: Graddakh, I was very confused about fir vs. fire. K'athfirari would be fine for "by roundness", I think, though I don't know if that really would work for "around" either.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2013, 04:26:24 pm by Niqolay »