Book Recommendation - The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building
The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building - by David J. Peterson
It’s time for another book recommendation, and boy is it a good one! I got David J. Peterson’s The Art of Language Invention as a Christmas present a few years ago, and all I can say is: wow.
Peterson is a linguist and the creator of a huge number of invented or constructed languages (also known as conlangs). If you’ve watched Game of Thrones and wondered where the languages High Valyrian and Dothraki come from, Peterson is the answer. You might also recognise his work in the two most recent Dune movies, as well as the popular Netflix series Shadow and Bone.
In The Art of Language Invention, Peterson breaks down the process of creating a language from scratch, allowing the reader into a complex and fascinating linguistic world. There are five chapters, each focusing on a different element of language: sound, words, evolution, phrases and writing. This is a very basic description - in reality, each chapter goes into depth about areas like phonotactics, inflection, pragmatics and much more.
While these linguistic terms can be confusing at times, especially if you don’t have a linguistics background, the book is still a worthwhile read for any language lover out there. Peterson’s genius is inspiring; after reading the book, you’ll find yourself reaching for a notepad and creating your own language!
For more information on Peterson’s work with constructed languages, visit his website here.
