Interview
House of the Dragon linguist on how Game of Thrones renewed the interest in fictional languages

The author of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin, has been a great champion of the fantasy genre. As we all know, one of the most crucial aspects of a successful dream is that it distinguishes itself from reality, and one key component of that is language. As some of you may know, linguist David J. Peterson created the Dothraki and High Valyrian languages especially for the TV adaptation, based on the minimal use of the languages in the novels.
Game of Thrones renewed the interest in fully developed fictional languages in the film industry
Peterson recently talked to The Guardian in an interview, where he recalled how he was getting more calls for work after developing Dothraki and Valyrian for Game of Thrones. He said, “Game of Thrones was so big that everyone wanted to hire everybody who worked on Game of Thrones. That’s why I got my second, fourth, and 15th job.”
David J. Peterson feels most fans won’t know a linguist’s contribution to a TV show or film
Peterson and his partner, Jessie Sams, both create fictional languages for a living, and both have worked on popular TV shows like The Witcher and Game of Thrones. Jessie remarked, “Ninety-eight percent of viewers are never going to know 99 percent of what we do.”
Peterson joined in, “It doesn’t matter if people don’t really notice it at the time. It’s always going to be there. And so at some point in time, if somebody decides to analyze it, it’s going to hold up or it’s not.”
Do you believe linguists deserve more recognition? Tell us in the comments below!
Read Next: House of The Dragon linguist David J. Peterson recalls writing Daemon’s Song to Vermithor
-
News2 days ago
Game of Thrones: Legends’ newest campaign lets you collect dragon eggs in Google Maps
-
News3 days ago
House of the Dragon finds its Ormund Hightower in The Nevers star James Norton
-
News6 days ago
Pedro Pascal to star with Scarlett Johansson in A24’s mystery film The Missing Link
-
News6 days ago
Olivia Cooke to star in ‘Switzerland’ alongside Helen Mirren
-
Editorial2 days ago
What was Viserys Targaryen’s biggest mistake? This is what George R. R. Martin has to say
-
News2 days ago
Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn shine in Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer
-
News8 hours ago
The Nevers director Nina Lopez-Corrado joins House of the Dragon Season 3