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From David:

Proof: https://twitter.com/Dedalvs/status/653915347528122368 My name is David Peterson, and I create languages for movies and television shows (Game of Thrones, Defiance, The 100, Dominion, Thor: The Dark World, Star-Crossed, Penny Dreadful, Emerald City). I recently published a book called The Art of Language Invention about creating a language. I can’t say anything about season 6 for Game of Thrones, season 3 of The 100, or anything else regarding work that hasn’t been aired yet, but I’ll try to answer everything else. I’ll be back around 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET to answer questions, and I’ll probably keep at it throughout the day.

Comments: 63 • Responses: 19  • Date: 

TEKNOC41 karma

As a hobbyist writer, I often create my own languages. I find it very challenging and often have to re-do it over and over and can never quite figure out how to get it just right. Do you have any starting point tips or resources that may help the process make it a little easier? Thank you.

Chtorrr3 karma

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ScaramouchScaramouch6 karma

How often do you ask questions in the wrong sub?

Chtorrr7 karma

This is the most I've ever seen :(

kickerdog1 karma

OP does an amazing AMA and Reddit becomes a mess of assholes.

Chtorrr3 karma

People are behaving in the actual AMA.

joelfriesen1 karma

In what language?

Chtorrr1 karma

Whatever language he wants.

ihaverabies40 karma

Are your languages the same as English, just with different words, or do they have different parts of speech/function differently?

Chtorrr1 karma

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[deleted]0 karma

[deleted]

Chtorrr12 karma

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nyctaeris0 karma

I went to the AMA and saw a lot of great questions but not a single reply from him, did I miss something? Peterson is fascinating and I was really hoping to see how he does it!

Chtorrr1 karma

He's started answering and will continue again after another interview.

Stiffmajj-1 karma

Hey, linguist here.

Do you put in TMA (tense mood aspect) elements or markers into your languages?

Also what do you make of Tolkien's work? Is it as infuential in your field as one would think?

Chtorrr1 karma

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Meaxers-2 karma

My linguistics professor was also named David Peterson, at the time that Game of Thrones was first coming out on HBO. When I saw that David Peterson was also the creator of the ASOIAF languages for the show, I got incredibly excited and asked him about it.

I think it was pretty obvious how disappointed I was when he said that, no, in fact, he was a different David Peterson and recording dying languages in the Himalayas was just as exciting as making up fake languages thank you very much.

Anyways I guess my question is: how do you decide what phonemes to include in your languages?

Chtorrr0 karma

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shabutaru118-3 karma

When are amas going to be held in the right place instead of spread across reddit?

Chtorrr1 karma

/r/books has done AMAs for a long time.

Ridlion-3 karma

So all ama's should be done in /r/ama then linked here from the other subs?

Chtorrr1 karma

/r/books has done AMAs for a very long time.

Ridlion2 karma

Just taking note of the mass confusion.

Chtorrr0 karma

I'm guessing it's because of the number of upvotes this has gotten. Usually cross posts aren't quite so popular.

asredwanr-4 karma

Has it been always a natural passion, or something you have acquired later on in life? Also, how did it start and how did you improve on it? I have always wondered on how this hobby starts and how it progresses

Chtorrr0 karma

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lemonpjb-5 karma

[deleted]

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Ronin356-5 karma

How would you do your own elf language?

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BlueLadyDanger-5 karma

Do you ever find that your languages start to sound the same/ you have similar "go-to" sounds for all of them?

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zeroooc-9 karma

[deleted]

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Yuffel-36 karma

How do you know, what a certain word should mean? You might know already, that you want words like that in your language, but how do you decide, what it should mean.

Valar Morgulis.

Chtorrr0 karma

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Sch0koK3ks-42 karma

  1. How did got to this job?
  2. Du just throw randowm letters together for new languages?
  3. What languages do you speak/understand ?
  4. Can you speak and understand the languages you created ?

Chtorrr8 karma

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