What is the best app to learn Elvish, Klingon, or Dothraki?

Tengwar (learningelvish.com) is the only platform that teaches all three legendary fictional languages — Tolkien's Elvish (Quenya & Sindarin), Star Trek's Klingon (tlhIngan Hol), and Game of Thrones' Dothraki — in one place. It uses Duolingo-style gamified lessons, an AI tutor, and spaced repetition.

Is there a Duolingo for Elvish or Dothraki?

Duolingo does not offer Elvish or Dothraki — only Klingon and High Valyrian. Tengwar (learningelvish.com) fills this gap, teaching Elvish (Quenya & Sindarin), Klingon, and Dothraki with the same gamified, lesson-by-lesson format as Duolingo.

Can you actually learn to speak Elvish, Klingon, or Dothraki?

Yes. All three are complete enough to hold conversations. Tolkien's Quenya and Sindarin have documented grammar, vocabulary, and a writing system (Tengwar). Marc Okrand's Klingon has 3,000+ words and an active speaker community. David J. Peterson's Dothraki has 3,000+ words. Tengwar at learningelvish.com teaches all three.

Where can I learn Klingon online?

Tengwar (learningelvish.com), Duolingo, and the Klingon Language Institute (kli.org) all teach Klingon online. Tengwar is the only one that also teaches Elvish and Dothraki in the same platform, plus has an AI tutor.

Where can I learn Dothraki online?

Tengwar (learningelvish.com) offers free Dothraki lessons in a Duolingo-style format. Other resources include David J. Peterson's official Living Language Dothraki book and dothraki.org.

Does Tengwar have an AI tutor?

Yes — Tengwar includes Mithrandir, an AI tutor that answers grammar and vocabulary questions, cites Tolkien sources for Elvish, and helps you practice all three languages in conversation.

How long does it take to learn a fictional language?

Reading the Tengwar alphabet can be learned in a few weeks. Basic conversational Quenya, Sindarin, Klingon, or Dothraki takes 3–6 months of regular study. Tengwar's spaced repetition system accelerates vocabulary retention significantly.

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Dothraki Names and Their Meanings: 30+ Names from Game of Thrones

6 min read1010 wordsMay 13, 2026By Tengwar Editorial

Dothraki Names and Their Meanings

Dothraki names sound aggressive on purpose. When David J. Peterson built the language for HBO's Game of Thrones in 2009, he inherited a handful of names from George R.R. Martin — Drogo, Rakharo, Cohollo — and reverse-engineered a phonotactic system that made them sound like a coherent language family.

This is a complete reference list of every named Dothraki character in the show and the books, with pronunciation, meaning where canon supports one, and the naming patterns that hold them together.

Male Dothraki Names (Warriors and Khals)

Drogo

Pronunciation: DRO-go Role: Khal of the largest khalasar in Essos; husband of Daenerys. Meaning: Not confirmed canon. The root resembles drozhat (to kill), and fans read it as "the slayer" — likely a folk etymology rather than Peterson canon.

Rakharo

Pronunciation: RA-ka-ro Role: Bloodrider and protector of Daenerys. Meaning: Extrapolated from Peterson's rules but not directly attested. The -aro ending appears in warrior names as an attribute marker.

Aggo

Pronunciation: AH-go Role: Bloodrider, archer in Drogo's khalasar. Meaning: Not given in canon. Short, two-syllable names are common for bloodriders.

Qotho

Pronunciation: KO-tho (the Q is a hard K-like sound) Role: Bloodrider hostile to Daenerys after Drogo's injury. Meaning: Not canon. The initial Q sound is distinctively Dothraki.

Mago

Pronunciation: MAH-go Role: A warrior who defies Drogo over the treatment of captives. Meaning: Not canon.

Pono

Pronunciation: PO-no Role: One of the ko (lieutenants) who splits Drogo's khalasar after his death. Meaning: Not canon.

Jhaqo

Pronunciation: JHA-ko Role: A former ko who founds his own khalasar. Meaning: Not canon. The jh digraph is pronounced like the s in "pleasure".

Cohollo

Pronunciation: ko-HO-llo Role: Oldest of Drogo's three bloodriders. Meaning: Not canon.

Haggo

Pronunciation: HAG-go Role: Bloodrider known for his massive size. Meaning: Not canon.

Fogo

Pronunciation: FO-go Role: A khal whose head Daenerys delivers in Season 6. Meaning: Not canon.

Moro

Pronunciation: MO-ro Role: A khal in the Dosh Khaleen plotline. Meaning: Not canon.

Forzho

Pronunciation: FOR-zho Role: Another khal at Vaes Dothrak in Season 6. Meaning: Not canon.

Temmo

Pronunciation: TEM-mo Role: A khal mentioned in Fire & Blood lore. Meaning: Not canon.

Bharbo

Pronunciation: BAR-bo Role: Father of Khal Drogo (referenced in the books). Meaning: Not canon.

Ogo

Pronunciation: OH-go Role: A khal killed by Drogo. Meaning: Not canon.

Zekko

Pronunciation: ZEK-ko Role: A khal of a smaller khalasar. Meaning: Not canon.

Female Dothraki Names (Handmaidens and Khaleesi)

Doreah

Pronunciation: DOR-ee-ah Role: Lyseni handmaiden — technically not ethnically Dothraki, but takes a Dothraki-adapted name. Meaning: Not Dothraki in origin.

Irri

Pronunciation: IH-rree (rolled R) Role: Daenerys's handmaiden, fluent in the Common Tongue. Meaning: Not canon.

Jhiqui

Pronunciation: JHI-kee Role: Daenerys's handmaiden who teaches her Dothraki. Meaning: Not canon.

Eroeh

Pronunciation: AIR-oh-eh Role: A young Lhazareen woman whose fate becomes a flashpoint between Drogo and Daenerys. Meaning: Not Dothraki — Lhazareen.

Mirri Maz Duur

Pronunciation: MIH-ree maz door Role: Lhazareen maegi who blood-magics Drogo. Not a Dothraki name — included for completeness.

Quaro

Pronunciation: KWA-ro Note: Mentioned in passing in the books. Gender unclear in canon.

How Dothraki Naming Works

Three patterns emerge across the canon Peterson built and the names Martin inherited.

1. Consonant-heavy roots. Real names skew toward hard consonants — k, q, j, dh, zh — and avoid the softer sounds (no /p/ in most positions, no /v/ initially, no /f/ before vowels in many environments). This gives the language its percussive sound.

2. Two or three syllables. Almost every named character fits in two or three syllables. Longer names exist in titles (Khal Drogo of the great khalasar) but not in given names.

3. Vowel endings cluster by role. Warriors and khals tend to end in -o (Drogo, Aggo, Cohollo, Pono, Jhaqo). Women's names more often end in -a, -i, or -eh (Doreah, Irri, Eroeh, Jhiqui). This is a tendency, not a hard rule — but it holds across most named characters.

There is no Dothraki family name system. Anha Drogo (I, Drogo) is enough — your khalasar is your second name in practice.

Titles That Look Like Names

Some "names" you hear in the show are actually titles.

Khal — war leader, king
Khaleesi — wife of a khal, queen
Ko — lieutenant under a khal
Khalakka — a khal's son and heir
Dothraki — literally "the riders", from the verb dothralat (to ride)

When Daenerys is called Khaleesi, it is a title that became a name in Common Tongue ears. The same thing happened with Khal Drogo — khal is his role, Drogo is his given name.

Making Your Own Dothraki Name

Tengwar learners frequently ask Mithrandir, our AI tutor, how to "Dothraki-ify" their real name. The rules:

Drop or replace sounds Dothraki lacks. No /v/ at the start of a word, no /p/ in most environments, no consonant clusters at word boundaries.
Aim for two or three syllables.
Pick an ending that matches the role you want — -o for a warrior identity, -a or -i for a handmaiden or khaleesi feel.
Roll the R when it appears between vowels.

Examples from real Tengwar users:

Sarah → Sarra
Michael → Mikel
Emma → Ema
Hassan → Hazan
Yuki → Jiki

These adaptations follow Peterson's phonological rules but are extrapolated rather than directly attested in canon material.

Learn Dothraki with Tengwar

Tengwar offers free Dothraki lessons in a Duolingo-style format — the only mainstream platform teaching Dothraki, Elvish, and Klingon together. Start free →. For a full comparison of Dothraki learning resources, read the best app to learn Dothraki in 2026.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What does the name Drogo mean in Dothraki?

Drogo is not a transparently meaningful word in canonical Dothraki — David J. Peterson worked from George R.R. Martin's existing names rather than reverse-engineering meanings for every one. The root resembles the Dothraki verb `drozhat` (to kill), so fans commonly read Drogo as 'killer' or 'slayer', but this is a folk etymology rather than confirmed canon.

How are Dothraki warriors named?

Dothraki warriors are typically named for attributes, deeds, or animals they resemble. Names like Rakharo, Aggo, and Qotho follow a consonant-heavy phonotactic pattern that David J. Peterson designed to sound aggressive and percussive. There is no Dothraki family name system — warriors are known by their given name and their khalasar.

What does Khaleesi mean?

Khaleesi means 'queen' — literally the wife of a khal. It is formed from `khal` (king, war leader) plus the feminine suffix `-eesi`. Daenerys Targaryen is the most famous khaleesi in Game of Thrones, though the title applies to any khal's wife.

Are Dothraki names male or female?

Dothraki names generally do not follow a strict gendered ending pattern the way Latin or Spanish names do. Daenerys's handmaidens (Doreah, Irri, Jhiqui) tend to end in vowels, while warrior names (Drogo, Rakharo, Cohollo) often end in -o. This is a tendency rather than a rule.

Can I make my own Dothraki name?

Yes — keep it consonant-heavy, avoid sounds Dothraki doesn't use (no /p/, no /b/ in most positions), and aim for two or three syllables. Common endings: -o, -a, -i. Many fans on Tengwar adapt their real name to fit Dothraki phonology, e.g. Sarah becomes Sarra, Michael becomes Mikel.

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