Author Topic: Dothraki "h"?  (Read 6022 times)

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Tracy

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Dothraki "h"?
« on: May 18, 2011, 03:53:13 pm »
The Dothraki phonology page on the wiki (http://wiki.dothraki.org/dothraki/Phonology) says the "h" sound is uvular.  But the "h" in the show doesn't sound uvular (in, for example, "Hash shafka zali addrivat mae, zhey Khaleesi?"  "Do you want to kill him, Khaleesi?").  Is the actor wrong, or does the wiki have the "h" in the wrong column?

Here's the clip with the quote - it's at about 2:23: The Dothraki Language - Episode 3 of Game of Thrones

Any insight is appreciate.  Thanks!

ingsve

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Re: Dothraki "h"?
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2011, 05:38:43 pm »
I wouldn't rely on what the actors are saying. They tend to do a lot of mistakes here and there. For example most of the time they pronounce /kh/ as a simply /k/, they tend to devoice a lot of consonants etc.

You can listen to this video from the conlang relay at the Language Creation Conference to hear David Peterson read a text in dothraki. His pronounciations should probably be more accurate.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/14723467

Jump to around 14:50 into the video for the start.
"I just need to rest, that’s all, to rest and sleep some, and maybe die a little" – Samwell Tarly

Tracy

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Re: Dothraki "h"?
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2011, 06:30:05 pm »
I don't hear any uvular fricatives (btw, if anyone's wondering what uvular fricatives sound like, most varieties of French pronounce "r" as either a uvular fricative or a uvular trill).  I do hear what sounds like a glottal "h".

ingsve

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Re: Dothraki "h"?
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2011, 06:59:29 pm »
I don't hear any uvular fricatives (btw, if anyone's wondering what uvular fricatives sound like, most varieties of French pronounce "r" as either a uvular fricative or a uvular trill).  I do hear what sounds like a glottal "h".

It might be a mistake then. Lajaki is the one that knows more about the phonology.

Edit: Looking at the pronounciation video that Lajaki made it seems he lists the /h/ as glottal there so it probably is a mistake in the wiki.
"I just need to rest, that’s all, to rest and sleep some, and maybe die a little" – Samwell Tarly

Tracy

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Re: Dothraki "h"?
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2011, 07:13:04 pm »
Thanks for checking - I appreciate it.  I'll update the AT article to make it clear the "h" is glottal.