Fictional languages have always been popular in science fiction and fantasy, with J.R.R. Tolkien being an innovator. His Lord of the Rings trilogy features both Quenya and Sindarin, and we all know High Valyrian and Dothraki from A Song of Ice and Fire. Who hasn’t tried at least a few lines from their favorite show? (Dracarys!)
Now, however, the top 10 most popular TV languages that fans are trying to learn have been revealed. Though analyzing global Google search data, online entertainment experts Jeffbet.com has revealed which languages fans are searching for and actively trying to learn. Unsurprisingly, since the debut of House of the Dragon, searches for “Learn Valyrian” have increased by a staggering 539%.
We hear High Valyrian in pretty much every episode. In the episode “Driftmark,” Aemond Targaryen bonds with the dragon Vhagar by using Valyrian words like “dohaeris,” meaning “serve,” and “lykiri,” meaning “calm.”
Klingon from Star Trek is still the most popular fictional language
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Star Trek‘s Klingon language comes out on top of the pile with 228,000 online searches annually. The guttural Klingon is probably the most famous fictional language of all time, with the first words being created by Scotty actor James Doohan in 1979. In 1983, a professional linguist was hired to expand the existing phrases into a complete language. Several Klingon books have been published, and an online Klingon Language Institute is dedicated to teaching and learning. Qapla’!
Elvish from Lord of the Rings is way behind, receiving 132,000 searches yearly. As with House of the Dragon, searches from interested parties have increased during the build-up to The Rings of Power, growing by 61% over the past year.
George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire takes third and fourth place, with Dothraki beating High Valyrian by a considerable margin. Dothraki received 63,000 searches compared with 33,000 for Valyrian.
With the Dothraki not featuring in House of the Dragon, however, the results may change over the coming years. For those who wish to get started, Duolingo has launched its own course in High Valyrian!
Rounding out the top five is something completely different: Minionese! Minionese, as spoken by the Minions in the Despicable Me franchise, is a polyglot language, borrowing words and grammatical rules from many different languages. It contains elements of English alongside Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Filipino, French, and Russian.
Check out the full results below:
- Klingon (Star Trek) – 228,000 searches
- Elvish (Lord of the Rings) – 132,000 searches
- Dothraki (Game of Thrones) – 63,600 searches
- Valyrian (Game of Thrones) – 33,600 searches
- Minionese (Despicable Me) – 15,600 searches
- Kryptonian (Superman) – 13,200 searches
- Vulcan (Star Trek) – 10,800 searches
- Sindarin (Lord of the Rings) – 4,200 searches
- Parseltongue (Harry Potter) – 4,200 searches
- Huttese (Star Wars) – 3,600 searches
If you’re looking to wage war against your enemies, perhaps Klingon might be for you. Going on an epic adventure across mountains with the fate of the world at stake? Perhaps Elvish. Whisper sweet nothings into your uncle’s ear? Definitely High Valyrian.
No matter what you choose, fictional languages are a key part of sci-fi and fantasy culture and a lot of fun besides, so why not try one yourself!
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