The interest of hundreds of thousands of people to learn the fictional “Valyrian” language that “no one speaks” drew attention once again to the extent to which the influence of such a fictional series that spread this language could reach, benefiting from the psychological and social needs of its followers.
And the language that appeared in the series “Game of Thrones”, learning it, raised questions about whether this is a separation from reality, or an excessive admiration for the series.
A professor of sociology for “Sky News Arabia” answers this question, and analyzes, from his point of view, what drives a person to learn a language that he is not supposed to benefit from or use in his life.
Talk about the “Valyrian language” came in the works of George Martin, author of the novels “Ice and Fire”, from which the series “Game of Thrones” was adapted, which tells a fictional story about a brutal civil war that took place between factions of the Targaryen dynasty, and picked up the American linguist, David G. Peterson, Martin’s vocabulary to form language more broadly.
It is the language of the rulers of dragon taming for a fictional empire in the novel, and this language appeared for the first time in 2012 during the third season of the series, and the first course to learn it was launched on the “Dolingo” application in 2017, and estimates of the number of people learning it varied between half a million to a million and a quarter of a million people.
immortalizing “fictional” events
Dr. Saeed Sadek, a professor of sociology, links the success of the series “Game of Thrones” with the demand for this language, especially among young people, for psychological, social, and functional reasons as well, including:
There is an audience fascinated by his heroes and the language they spoke, so they try to immortalize his events by preserving this language, and by affirming their cultural integration with his world. Some fans of the series believe that learning this language helps them understand it and talk about it in front of their friends with more experience. These things attract those who have a great void; Therefore, we are not surprised that teenagers are especially attracted to learning the language, even though it is fictional. Challenge lovers also have a share in learning the language; As a personal challenge to gain a new skill. The unique grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation found in the Valyrian language can be interesting for those looking to expand their language skills. The desire for a sense of belonging among the audience who loves the series makes some learn the language to be a common factor to deal with, especially with the presence of forums and groups on social networking sites that facilitate their meeting across countries and their practice of the language, and even they can organize local meetings. Language learning enthusiasts see that learning a unique new language makes it easier for them to get a job, for example in fields related to translation or dubbing and voice acting for similar shows. “If you’re not a fan of the series, you won’t be interested in knowing its languages, or even mentioning that there are people trying to learn that fictional language,” Sadek stresses.
The epic series won record numbers of viewers around the world. What qualified him to nominate and win many international awards, such as the “Emmy” and “Golden Globe” awards.
