What in the World
What in the World
How to make a fake language for movies and TV
Up next
6 September 2024
15 minutes
Available for over a year
A lot of films and TV shows like Game of Thrones, Dune, and Shadow and Bone have their own languages, and some are so complex that they have lore and history. But have you ever wondered how languages like Dothraki are created, or if the actors are just making it up as they go along?
We take our questions to married couple Jessie and David Peterson whose shared love of linguistics and making up languages has led to them working for some very famous shows. They talk us through how they come up with languages.
And the BBC’s resident gamer, Mel Ramsey, takes us on a journey into gaming and the role that languages like Skyrim's Dovahzul play in bringing games to life for fans.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Alex Rhodes
Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden, Adam Chowdhury and Shiler Mahmoudi
Editor: Rosanna La-Falce