Learning a new language is always a worthwhile endeavor...or so we thought, until we learned that Duolingo will offer a class in High Valyrian, the language spoken by Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones.
The course, which has been in the works for several months, now has an estimated completion date. (It's July 16, for those of you who think it may come in handy during your next trip to Essos.) But wait, there's more! Duolingo notes that if you're fluent in both English and High Valyrian, you can apply to contribute.
The update is complete with a message from Game of Thrones language specialist David J. Peterson which reads “Valyrio Māzis." According to a Reddit contributor, this roughly translates to “Valyrian is coming.”
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If you do choose to learn High Valyrian, consider this your friendly reminder that you'd only be able to communicate with one character on the show. Daenerys Targaryen, one of the last living Targaryens and descendants of Old Valyria, is the only Game of Thrones character who uses this dialect.
Peterson created the language on his own, and constructed the grammar from two phrases used in George R.R. Martin’s books: “Valar Dohaeris” (“All men must serve”) and “Valar Morghulis” (“All men must die”). He's also responsible for writing the entire Dothraki language used on Game of Thrones. Peterson spoke about the process at Con of Thrones last month, and shared that fans often tweet at him to correct translations of High Valyrian or Dothraki used on the show.
Duolingo's course marks the first time there's an official High Valyrian class, but Game of Thrones fanatics have compiled dictionaries that can be found online.
The ability to fluently speak High Valyrian will, uh, not be especially useful in the real world. But if you're not in the mood to take a Spanish or French course, you can rest assured that there are other options.