David J. Peterson: The Linguist Who Built Dothraki

David J. Peterson: The Linguist Who Built Dothraki

In 2009, HBO needed a language for the horse lords of Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin had given Dothraki only a handful of phrases in his books — not a system, just flavor. The production company reached out to the Language Creation Society, which ran an open competition for linguists to pitch Dothraki fully realized. David J. Peterson won.

What followed was one of the most celebrated examples of conlang creation in entertainment history.

The Application

Peterson submitted a comprehensive proposal — not just vocabulary, but a grammatical system, phonological rules, and sample texts. He explained his design philosophy, demonstrated how the language would grow from the small seed of words Martin had already published, and showed that he understood not just linguistics but storytelling.

The Language Creation Society received around 30 applications. Peterson's depth of preparation and his clear thinking about the relationship between culture and language set him apart. He was hired in 2009 and delivered a complete Dothraki language before the first episode aired.

The Design Philosophy

Peterson's approach to Dothraki was rooted in three principles:

1. Honor George R.R. Martin's original words. The books contained phrases like m'athchomaroon and fonas chek — Peterson had to build a grammar that made these phrases grammatically coherent, working backward from existing data rather than building freely from scratch.

2. Reflect Dothraki culture. Peterson deeply researched nomadic warrior cultures — Mongols, Huns, Plains First Nations peoples — to understand what linguistic features might emerge from such a lifestyle. Dothraki's rich horse vocabulary, its warrior-focused verbs, its animacy distinctions all reflect this research.

3. Make it learnable. Peterson wanted Dothraki to be something fans could actually study and use. He published his book The Language of the Dothraki in 2014 and has been actively supportive of the learning community.

The Language Itself: Linguistic Choices

Several of Peterson's choices reveal his linguistic sophistication:

Animacy — Dothraki distinguishes between animate and inanimate nouns grammatically. Horses, people, and living creatures follow different patterns than objects. This isn't arbitrary — it reflects a culture where living beings (especially horses) have a different moral and practical status than things.

Phonology — Peterson chose sounds that would feel visceral and expressive when spoken by actors, but wouldn't be impossible to learn. The kh and zh sounds add exoticism without requiring the extreme articulation that Klingon demands.

Verb aspect — Peterson built in a distinction between completed and ongoing actions at the grammatical level, creating a language where how an action happens matters as much as what the action is. This suits a warrior culture where the distinction between decisive action (completed) and ongoing struggle matters enormously.

Beyond Dothraki: A Career in Conlangs

Peterson went on to create more languages for Game of Thrones (High Valyrian, Low Valyrian, Astapori Valyrian), plus constructed languages for The 100, Defiance, Thor: The Dark World, Penny Dreadful, and many other productions.

He has also written The Art of Language Invention (2015), the definitive popular guide to creating constructed languages. The book covers phonology, grammar design, writing systems, and the relationship between culture and language — drawing on his professional experience.

Peterson's Influence on Conlang Culture

Like Marc Okrand with Klingon, Peterson demonstrated that fictional languages deserve serious linguistic treatment. His work raised the bar for what entertainment productions should expect from language design.

He has also been a mentor to aspiring conlang creators, teaching through his book, online content, and community engagement. The Language Creation Society has grown significantly since Game of Thrones popularized the idea that constructed languages are worth caring about.

Explore Dothraki — and the other languages Peterson helped inspire — at learningelvish.com.

Related Reading

• The Best App to Learn Dothraki in 2026 (I Tested Every Option)
• Dothraki Language Basics: Grammar, Vocabulary & Culture
• How to Learn Dothraki: The Complete 2026 Guide for Beginners

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