Author Topic: Names and Zhey's Uses  (Read 12153 times)

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HoeriVezhof

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Names and Zhey's Uses
« on: December 18, 2016, 01:32:32 pm »
M'ath eyak!
To improve my understanding of the Dothrai language and better my Bible translation I've gone back to all the dialog available and found some interesting tidbits I thought I'd share concerning names.

Names appear to be fully declining animate nouns that take whatever case the sentence requires of it.
Ki jini anha astak asqoy, anha, Drogo ki Bharbosi.
This I vow Drogo son of Bharbo. S1E7

Aggo dothra ma khalasaroon anni
Aggo belonged to my khalasar. S6E4

Hiles Aggoes.
graddakh Aggo. S6E4

However, when the title Khal is placed before the name, only the title is declined. This is consistent throughout the corpus.
Me dothrakhqoyoon torga Khali Bharbo.
He was a Bloodrider under Khal Bharbo. S1E3

Anha aqafak zhey Khaloon Moro ajjalanes ma yeroon.
I’ll ask Khal Moro for a night with you. S6E1

Anha chiorikemoon ha Khalaan Drogo ki Bharbosi.
I was wife to Khal Drogo, son of Khal Bharbo. S6E1

Note the use of zhey in the second example, though. We all know zhey as a vocative particle placed before the name of the person being addressed.
Jadi, zhey Jora Andahli.
Come, Jorah the Andal.

Zhey jalan atthirari anni. Hash azisi?
Moon of my live. Are you hurt?

It can even be used as a semi-direct address where the person is present but is merely being pointed out in the discussion, not directly spoken to (Note that in both instances the names are properly declined for their role in the sentence).
Che ishish me vallayafa yera attihat zhey Rhalkoes athyazharoon yeri?
Or maybe you’d like to show Rhalko here what you taste like? S6E4

But there are instances in the corpus like zhey khaloon More where the person being addressed is not physically present.
Hrazef shafki nokittish mahrazhes anni zhey Iggo.
Your horses trampled my man Iggo.

Mori nokittish akka mahrazhes anni zhey Akho.
They also trampled my man Akho. S6E4

Also note the lack of agreement here.
mahrazhes anni zhey Iggo, not mahrazhes anni zhey Iggoes.

So what's going on here? Assuming no errors in the text, it's possible that zhey is acting here as a sort of as a pseudo-topicalizer., emphasizing the following name without fronting it. The lack of agreement in the last two examples may be due to the fact that, like when zhey is playing its vocative role, it is not part of the sentence but simply providing additional information. This is all just speculation, though; there's not enough examples to go on.

There is also this lone usage with a place name by Dany, but seeing as this is the only example of it and it's by a non-native speaker, I don't know how reliable it is.
Zhey Qarth?
Qarth? S2E4

I'm curious to hear what others think about the whole subject of names and zhey's usages.
Anha zalak m'anha acharak dirge shafki aranikhi.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2017, 05:00:54 pm by HoeriVezhof »
Che vezak anha os che amovek - Hannibal Barca, ko Punik.

Khal_Qana

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Re: Names and Zhey's Usages
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2016, 09:24:01 am »
Zhey feshith ki aheshki
Zhey feshith ki aheshki
Qora yeroon laina
My name means butt swarm

Hrakkar

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Re: Names and Zhey's Usages
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2016, 02:08:59 pm »
This is truly interesting. I haven't previously noticed this, nor has anyone else to my knowledge brought this up. I also don't remember seeing this in David's book, but its been a while since I looked at it.

Zhey then has more functions than a particle of address, and functions in a manner that is not conveniently described in English. A note should be added in appropriate places in the wiki about this unexpected usage.

Good find, zhey HoeriVezhof!
(Its interesting we don't have a noun for 'find', 'catch' or 'discovery'.
Don't tell Khal Drogo I am here ;)

HoeriVezhof

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Re: Names and Zhey's Usages
« Reply #3 on: December 19, 2016, 05:17:18 pm »
I skimmed through Living Language: Dothraki just now and found these three instances of zhey:
Anha tih avees yer, zhey Zhaqo, asshekh.
I saw your father, Zhaqo, today. p.32

Khal shafki, zhey Khal Saddo, me ray atthas san dozgi.
Your Khal, Khal Saddo, He has laid low many enemies. p.107

San athcomari shafkea, zhey lajak.
Much respect to you, warrior. p.108

The last one is clearly the traditional vocative case, but in the first two zhey is again acting as a clarifier, adding additional information to the sentence.

Good find, zhey HoeriVezhof!
(Its interesting we don't have a noun for 'find', 'catch' or 'discovery'.

Thank you! and perhaps *ezikh from ezat[to find] +ikh[resultative], *fogikh from fogat[to hunt] +ikh[resultative], or even qorasokh, if you look at the act of discovering as a hard battle after which you are rewarded with your 'prize' or 'spoils.'
Che vezak anha os che amovek - Hannibal Barca, ko Punik.