Translate English text into the Old Tongue of the First Men from A Song of Ice and Fire. Generate authentic-sounding phrases inspired by the ancient language spoken beyond the Wall and by the wildlings of Westeros.
The Old Tongue is the ancient language of the First Men in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and its HBO adaptation Game of Thrones. It was the dominant language of Westeros for thousands of years before the Andal invasion brought the Common Tongue. By the time of the main story, the Old Tongue survives primarily among the Free Folk — the wildlings who live beyond the Wall — and in scattered place names, phrases, and traditions throughout the North.
Unlike High Valyrian or Dothraki, the Old Tongue was never fully developed into a constructed language by a linguist. George R.R. Martin provided only a handful of canonical words: "skagos" (stone), "magnar" (lord), "Thenn" (the last of the First Men), and a few others embedded in place names and titles. This translator expands on those fragments, building a consistent phonetic and grammatical framework that feels true to the harsh, guttural sound Martin described — a language shaped by frozen winds and ancient forests.
The giants are said to speak a crude version of it. The Thenns use it as their primary language. Wildling leaders like Mance Rayder and Tormund Giantsbane know it alongside the Common Tongue. Even some Northern houses preserve Old Tongue words in their traditions, and the ancient runes carved into the Wall and First Men ruins are written in this language.
The winter is coming and we must prepare.
Skagath grenn vol kah mur thenn ghor.
I am a free man. No king rules me.
Akh vel fror. Noh magnar khal akh.
We will fight them at the Wall!
Mur ghor krath vol Gorrath!
By the old gods, I swear my blade to you.
Vor grenn hrokk, akh skor val gharr vol thu.
The dead are walking. Run.
Skaeth vol grenn. Khor.
No. Unlike Dothraki and High Valyrian, which were fully constructed by linguist David J. Peterson for the Game of Thrones show, the Old Tongue was never formally developed. George R.R. Martin only provided a small number of canonical words scattered throughout the books — mostly place names and titles like "skagos" (stone), "magnar" (lord), and "Thenn." This translator builds on those fragments to create a consistent, authentic-feeling language system that respects the phonetic patterns and cultural context Martin established.
The confirmed canonical words include: "skagos" (stone, from the island Skagos), "magnar" (lord, used by the Thenns), and a few terms embedded in place names like "Skirling Pass" and character titles. The word "Thenn" itself carries meaning related to the last pure bloodline of the First Men. Everything else in this translator is extrapolated from these roots, designed to match the harsh, Northern sound that Martin describes.
Martin describes the Old Tongue as a rough, harsh-sounding language — fitting for a people who lived in the frozen North, fought the Others, and carved runes into stone. The phonetic design favors hard consonants (k, g, th, kh, gr), short vowels, and abrupt syllables. This reflects both the brutal environment of the far North and the practical, no-nonsense culture of the First Men and their wildling descendants.
The Thenns are described in the books as the most culturally preserved group of First Men descendants, maintaining laws, bronze-working, and the Old Tongue as their primary language. Their version is more formal and grammatically complete. Common wildlings, by contrast, mostly speak the Common Tongue and use the Old Tongue in fragments — their version is rougher, simpler, and sometimes mixed with Common Tongue words.
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