David J. Peterson

David J. Peterson is an American linguist and language creator who constructs languages for film and television, including Dothraki for Game of Thrones.

Dothraki: Dothraki is a constructed language created for the television series Game of Thrones. Peterson developed its grammar and vocabulary from the sparse phrases in George R. R. Martin’s novels.
Constructed language: A constructed language is a language deliberately designed rather than developed through ordinary community transmission. Peterson’s screen languages are designed systems, though their fictional histories often treat them as naturally evolved.
George R. R. Martin: George R. R. Martin is an American novelist best known for the A Song of Ice and Fire series. His novels supplied the Dothraki and Valyrian words and phrases Peterson developed for television.
Language creation: Language creation is the deliberate design of languages for artistic, personal, or practical purposes. Peterson’s career brought this broader practice into prominent television productions.
High Valyrian: High Valyrian is a constructed language spoken in the fictional world of A Song of Ice and Fire. Peterson expanded the language for its prominent role in Game of Thrones.
Historical linguistics: Historical linguistics studies how languages change over time and how they are related. Peterson uses imagined sound changes and linguistic history to give languages a sense of age.
HBO: HBO is an American television network and media company that produces scripted series. Its Game of Thrones production commissioned Peterson’s best-known language work.
Dothraki language learning: Dothraki language learning is the study and use of the constructed language created for Game of Thrones. The language developed for the screen also acquired learners beyond the show’s production.
Trigedasleng: Trigedasleng is a constructed language created for the television series The 100. Peterson designed its sound and structure for a future society in the series.
Phonology: Phonology studies how speech sounds are organized and patterned in a language. A language’s sound system helps make its dialogue distinctive and pronounceable by performers.

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Fictional languageRelated: Peterson expanded Dothraki and Valyrian for Game of Thrones.