The Art Of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building

Description

From master language creator David J. Peterson, creator of Game of Thrones' (HBO) Dothraki language, comes a creative guide to language construction. Peterson begins with a brief history of constructed languages, from Tolkien's creations to Klingon to the thriving global community of language construction. Then, using examples from a variety of languages including his own creations, Peterson offers a captivating and lucid overview, providing a basic foundation of essential linguistic tools for inventing and evolving one's own lexicon.

David J. Peterson began creating languages in 2000, received his MA in Linguistics from the University of California, San Diego, in 2005, and cofounded the Language Creation Society in 2007. He has created languages for HBO's Game of Thrones, Syfy's DefianceandDominion, the CW's Star-Crossed, and Thor- The Dark World. He is also the author of Living Language Dothraki.

"David Peterson's language work transformed our show, investing it with a sense of reality and history that would have been impossible without him. There's nothing like the real thing, and David Peterson is it. This fascinating book will not only illuminate the task of language creation--it will make you look at your own language in a whole new way." -David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, co-creators of HBO's Game of Thrones "George R. R. Martin created Khal Drogo, and David Benioff and Dan Weiss believed in me, but David Peterson gave me life." -Jason Momoa "David J. Peterson's The Art of Language Invention accomplishes a minor miracle in taking a potentially arcane discipline and infusing it with life, humor and passion. It makes a compelling and entertaining case for language creation as visual and aural poetry. I cherish words, I love books about words and for me this is the best book about language since Stephen Fry's The Ode Less Traveled. And, best of all, there's a phrasebook!" -Kevin Murphy, co-creator and showrunner of Syfy's Defiance "If you want to know how someone makes up a language from the ground up, you'll find out how in this book-and the glory of it is that along the way you'll get the handiest introduction now in existence to what linguistics is. In fact, read this even if you DON'T feel like making up a language!" -John McWhorter, author of The Language Hoax "Accessible, entertaining, and thorough, Peterson has created an invaluable resource for authors, dedicated fans, and casual enthusiasts. This is the book I wish I'd had when I started writing." -Leigh Bardugo, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow and Bone "This book not only lucidly ushers language invention into its own as an art form, it's also an excellent introduction to linguistics." -Arika Okrent, author of In the Land of Invented Languages "Mr. Peterson illuminates the ins and outs of being a professional developer of "constructed languages"...Language invention requires not only technical know-how but also playfulness and a degree of historical savvy." -The Wall Street Journal