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How did the biggest franchise in TV use linguistics to create a new universe?

By Lauren Nelsen
Course: Morphology and Syntax (Ling 4420)
Advisor: Jared Desjardins
LURA 2019

Game of Thrones, a hugely successful TV show, has firmly established its presence in popular culture. But it鈥檚 not just a show; it鈥檚 a constructed universe with different tribes and realistic constructed languages. One of these constructed languages, Dothraki, spoken by the Dothraki people, plays an integral role in the Game of Thrones experience.

Game of Thrones is one of the most successful TV franchises in the history of television. One of the reasons for the show鈥檚 success is the productions鈥� attention to detail throughout the series. The sets, costumes, characters, and dialogue carry immense depth that results in an immersive experience for the viewer. Along with these elements, the constructed languages 听an invented language intended for human communication that has planned and cohesive phonological, grammatical, and syntactical systems
, or 鈥渃on-langs鈥�, used in the show have all the features of a real language. This linguistic depth provides a captivating and realistic element to the Game of Thrones universe, specifically for the Dothraki world. Dothraki, created by author and con-langer David J. Peterson, is one of the constructed languages created for the series. With an in-depth analysis of Dothraki鈥檚 linguistics features, like syntax 听the way in which linguistic elements (such as words) are put together to form constituents (such as phrases or clauses)
, morphology 听the system of word-forming elements and processes in a language
, and lexicon 听the vocabulary of a language, an individual speaker or group of speakers, or a subject
, my project connects language to Dothraki culture, while highlighting how the use of this constructed language contributes to the overall Game of Thrones experience.

The Dothraki people are honest, direct, and brutal. These cultural characteristics are mirrored in Dothraki鈥檚 syntax. Dothraki does not have a copula, or 鈥渢o be鈥� verb, meaning sentences literally translate into /subject. adjective./. This structure allows for consistently short, direct sentences that perfectly mirror the Dothraki people鈥檚 tendency of forwardness.

Just like any language, Dothraki comes with a functional morphological system. Although the language is not heavily reliant on its morphological structure, it is an important aspect of Dothraki linguistics. Dothraki utilizes some interesting idiosyncrasies in its morphology. For example, the circumfix /-sa(v) / _ /-alat/ is attached to nouns to indicate that the subject is 鈥渃overed in鈥� that noun. For example, the word 鈥榖lood鈥� /qoy/ becomes 鈥榗overed in blood鈥� /saqoyalat/ after the circumfix is applied. This morphological feature allows nouns to be contextualized and lexically shifted by speakers, adding even more depth to the language.

Dothraki鈥檚 rich lexicon is the most salient feature of the language, because of its direct relationship with the culture. The original Game of Thrones books, written by George R.R. Martin, contain a few Dothraki words, but did not have a developed syntactic or morphological structure. This means that the language was entirely birthed from several nouns specific to Dothraki lifestyle and values. For example, because the Dothraki people worship horses, there are more than 8 words for 鈥榟orse鈥� in Dothraki. The absence of certain words also plays a key role in the believability of the language. For example, there is no word for 鈥渢hank you鈥� in Dothraki. According to creator David J. Peterson, the absence of this term is due to the fact that the Dothraki people do not engage in trade. Because 鈥渢hank you鈥� is commonly used during the exchange of items, the term never came to fruition in Dothraki. Dothraki鈥檚 noun inventory is a reflection of the most important aspects of Dothraki life, while the absence of certain terms mirrors the isolationist practices of Dothraki culture. The lexicon is an imperative piece of the language, as it captures Dothraki鈥檚 most valued cultural elements and channels them to the viewer via linguistics.

Not only does Dothraki sound like an actual language, it is an actual language, because it includes major linguistics components, like morphology, syntax, and lexicon. Without these features, the language would seem artificial, removing the viewer from the scene. The syntax provides a consistent structure for the language, the morphology allows words to be utilized in different contexts, while the lexicon captures the most important elements of Dothraki life. Each Dothraki scene in Game of Thrones contains all the components of a realistic universe: functional costumes, believable settings, and complex characters. Despite the realism of these elements, they are merely visual and not tangible for the viewer. This is why language is so imperative, as it adds an auditory and functional component to the show. Syntax, morphology, and lexicon beautifully coexist, while simultaneously working together to create the Dothraki language. These linguistic features appear to be just technicalities, but with a closer look, they undeniably play a fundamental role in the Game of Thrones universe, and in the show鈥檚 momentous success.

Opening photo credit
Photo courtesy of The Daily Dot