Author Topic: Ordinal Numbers  (Read 5367 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

greygandalf

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 7
  • Karma: +0/-0
  • Dothraki Fan
    • View Profile
Ordinal Numbers
« on: July 31, 2013, 06:29:31 pm »
Hey guys, again I found two different ways to translate numbers to Dothraki, but now it's the 1 and 2 in ordinals. This is how they were translated:

#1 - Ataki - Atak
#2 - Akataki - Akatak

Which are the right? Thanks!

Hrakkar

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 445
  • Karma: +24/-0
  • Dothraki Fan
    • View Profile
Re: Ordinal Numbers
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2013, 07:44:21 pm »
Hey guys, again I found two different ways to translate numbers to Dothraki, but now it's the 1 and 2 in ordinals. This is how they were translated:

#1 - Ataki - Atak
#2 - Akataki - Akatak

Which are the right? Thanks!

Zhey GreyGandalf, welcome to the Dothraki/Valyrian forums! I hope you enjoy our forums and come back here often.

Now, to answer your question: Both forms are correct. The form to use depends on how you use the ordinal number. We'll consider the second form first.

An ordinal number is created by adding the nominative case marker /-ak/ to the number. Thus at-ak, akat-ak, etc. (In case you are not familiar with noun cases, noun cases indicate what role a noun has in a sentence. In this particular case, nominative case is the case used on nouns that are the subject of a sentence.) Use as such, the term would mean 'first one', 'second one', etc. This also makes the ordinal number an animate noun, which has different rules for usage than an inanimate noun. Noun animacy is a big subject!

The first form is the form of an ordinal number when it is used to directly modify a noun. The addition of the /-i/ places the ordinal number noun in the genitive case, a noun case that generally indicates possession. This would be used for such Dothraki phrases as hrazef mekaki “the fifth horse” or diaf qazataki “the ninth skull”.

You can learn all about numbers at this blog post by David Peterson: http://www.dothraki.com/2011/10/numbers-numbers-everywhere/
Make sure you also check out the Dothraki/Valyrian wiki, where almost everything we know about Dothraki or Valyrian is posted. http://wiki.dothraki.org/Main_Page (Note the URL for this site had a minor change about 24 hours before this post.)
Don't tell Khal Drogo I am here ;)

Qvaak

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 364
  • Karma: +29/-0
  • someone
    • View Profile
    • qvaak-dot-kuutikkaat
Re: Ordinal Numbers
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2013, 06:22:06 am »
This is a good catch, though I'm not sure, what should be done. Listing akataki and ataki as adjectives isn't entirely right, though in practice they function almost exactly like them (since vowel ending adjectives don't decline). I don't think just losing the words is a nice option, even though they are techically just genitive cases of ordinals. Perhaps this would be a good time to learn from Mad Latinist's Valyrian work and start adding footnotes.
Game of Thrones is not The Song of Ice and Fire, sweetling. You'll learn that one day to your sorrow.

Hrakkar

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 445
  • Karma: +24/-0
  • Dothraki Fan
    • View Profile
Re: Ordinal Numbers
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2013, 10:52:27 am »
Although you haven't seen it yet, the Valyrian dictionary has a lot more capability for notes, etc. In the limited testing I have done so far, it works well and looks nice. I will have a big block of time in mid-August that I hope to devote to the Valyrian dictionary project, to get it fully on line.

The Dothraki dictionary can be updated to have this capability as well, and there is a way to add some notes now. I will be adding words this weekend, so I might just adjust the ordinal number definitions while I am at it.
Don't tell Khal Drogo I am here ;)

greygandalf

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 7
  • Karma: +0/-0
  • Dothraki Fan
    • View Profile
Re: Ordinal Numbers
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2013, 03:23:10 pm »
Thanks, Hrakkar! For all three answers. I'd say that on dothraki, but, as you must know, there is no word for "thank you" in dothraki. Dothras chek!

Hrakkar

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 445
  • Karma: +24/-0
  • Dothraki Fan
    • View Profile
Re: Ordinal Numbers
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2013, 01:33:54 pm »
Very true. But many here have taken to using the High Valyrian word kirimvose for 'thank you' :)
Don't tell Khal Drogo I am here ;)