David Peterson developed the Dothraki language for the TV show Game of Thrones.
Dothraki is a naturalistic conlang designed to resemble a real human language.
There are various resources available for those interested in learning Dothraki.
Dothraki verbs play a significant role in determining subject-object relationships and employ different case roles.
Deep dives
The Creation of Dothraki
Dothraki is a language spoken by a fictional ethnic group in the Song of Ice and Fire series. It was created by David Peterson for the HBO TV adaptation Game of Thrones. Peterson was hired by the show's producers to develop a functional language for the Dothraki people. The language has its own grammar, vocabulary, and even sound system. Peterson's work on Dothraki gained popularity and led to the creation of a Dothraki dictionary and online resources for fans of the show and conlang enthusiasts.
The Process of Creating Dothraki
When the TV producers realized they needed an actual language for the Dothraki people, they hired the Language Creation Society to develop it. David Peterson was selected from a group of applicants and became the main creator of the Dothraki language. He worked closely with the producers and writers of the show to ensure that the language fit the Dothraki culture and the narrative of the series. Peterson's expertise in conlanging and linguistic creativity allowed him to develop a fully fleshed out and functional language for the Dothraki people.
Features of Dothraki
Dothraki is a naturalistic conlang, meaning it is designed to resemble a real human language. It has its own grammar rules, vocabulary, phonetics, and syntax. The language was designed to fit the culture and lifestyle of the Dothraki people. It includes features commonly found in natural languages, such as verb conjugation, noun declension, and sentence structure. Dothraki has gained popularity among fans of the show and has even been featured in language conferences and workshops. It represents a successful example of creating a fully functional and realistic constructed language for use in a fictional world.
Dothraki Language Resources
There are several resources available for those interested in learning more about the Dothraki language. These include online dictionaries, grammar guides, and language learning materials. Additionally, there are presentations and videos discussing the creation and features of Dothraki. These resources provide an in-depth look at the language and its structure, allowing fans and language enthusiasts to further explore this unique constructed language.
Overview of Verb Structure in Dothraki
Dothraki verbs play a crucial role in determining the relationships between subject, object, and any other dependencies. The verb is usually the determining factor for what its dependencies are doing, such as the subject and object. As connections extend outward from the base case, they become increasingly tenuous, with no verb subcategorizing for adverbs of time, for example. Additionally, Dothraki employs different case roles to fulfill multiple roles associated with a verb. This allows for greater flexibility in expressing different meanings and nuances.
The Use of the Ollodith in Dothraki
In Dothraki, the Ollodith case is used in situations where a verb does not fully affect its object. Instead of adding verbage to specify that the action was partial or incomplete, the Ollodith case is used to convey this meaning. This usage is unexpected and requires the listener or reader to interpret the speaker's intentions. Over time, as these patterns become conventionalized, the meaning of using the Ollodith case with certain verbs becomes widely understood and accepted.
Use of Language Descriptions and Idiomatic Expressions
Language descriptions and linguistic analyses often provide a basic sense of meaning for different cases, but they can also limit the possibilities for expressing other concepts within a finite case system. The usage of cases in specific ways, such as the Ollodith, is not always tied to the core meaning of the case, but rather to a more specific purpose or usage in certain contexts. This highlights the notion that words often derive their meaning from the company they keep, and the same applies to grammatical inflections like cases and verb structures.
David Peterson joins us for a wonderful Supersize episode where we talk all about growing your lexicon, from generating roots to creating realistic polysemy and semantic fields. Also, we finally feature an obscure little language we’ve wanted to talk about for a while 😛 Top of Show Greeting: Oltengo Links and Resources: Analysis of English... Read more »
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