--- product_id: 18564723 title: "The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building" price: "127.43 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/18564723-the-art-of-language-invention-from-horse-lords-to-dark store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building **Price:** 127.43 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building - **How much does it cost?** 127.43 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/18564723-the-art-of-language-invention-from-horse-lords-to-dark) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description An insider’s tour through the construction of invented languages from the bestselling author and creator of languages for Legendary's Dune , the HBO series Game of Thrones and the Syfy series Defiance From master language creator David J. Peterson comes a creative guide to language construction for sci-fi and fantasy fans, writers, game creators, and language lovers. Peterson offers a captivating overview of language creation, covering its history from Tolkien’s creations and Klingon to today’s thriving global community of conlangers. He provides the essential tools necessary for inventing and evolving new languages, using examples from a variety of languages including his own creations, punctuated with references to everything from Star Wars to Janelle Monáe. Along the way, behind-the-scenes stories lift the curtain on how he built languages like Dothraki for HBO’s Game of Thrones and Shiväisith for Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World , and an included phrasebook will start fans speaking Peterson’s constructed languages. The Art of Language Invention is an inside look at a fascinating culture and an engaging entry into a flourishing art form—and it might be the most fun you’ll ever have with linguistics. The Art of Language Invention includes a new chapter on phrases, specifically, word order, negation, question formation, pragmatic concerns, relativization, and subordination, providing a complete introduction to language creation and linguistics. Invented languages featured in the book now include Chakobsa from Legendary’s Dune , Trigedasleng (or Grounder) from The 100 , Méníshè language from Motherland: Fort Salem and Ravkan from the Netflix series Shadow and Bone . Review: Niche but great for language lovers! - My son is very into conlangs and thought this book was very interesting Review: The Art of Language Invention educates and inspires as much as it entertains. - I spent a lot of time waiting in doctors’ offices last week, and I needed something to save me from boredom- and anxiety-induced insanity. What better choice could I have made than The Art of Language Invention by David J. Peterson? Back when I was a kid, one of my favorite books was Dougal Dixon’s After Man: a Zoology of the Future. As an exercise in speculative biology, the book is responsible for maybe 90% of my enthusiasm about evolution, anatomy, and animal behavior. The fact that I know anything about those subjects at all is because I was enthusiastic for them, which puts Dixon to blame for most of what I know about the natural world. When I read The Art of Language Invention, the same thing happened with linguistics. You can’t create a good made-up language without knowing about real languages. Through the lens of his invented languages and his experience using them, Peterson educates the reader about the forces that shape the way we speak—a practical gift wrapped in shiny packaging. Like all good speculation, The Art of Language Invention educates and inspires as much as it entertains. And it IS entertaining, if for no other reason than the cat and onion jokes. Go read it. I expect to see your new language on my desk by Monday. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #60,354 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #13 in Science Fiction History & Criticism #17 in Science Fiction & Fantasy Literary Criticism (Books) #17 in Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 633 Reviews | ## Images ![The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71-DSPyyd7L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Niche but great for language lovers! *by M***Y on September 21, 2026* My son is very into conlangs and thought this book was very interesting ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Art of Language Invention educates and inspires as much as it entertains. *by D***N on October 26, 2016* I spent a lot of time waiting in doctors’ offices last week, and I needed something to save me from boredom- and anxiety-induced insanity. What better choice could I have made than The Art of Language Invention by David J. Peterson? Back when I was a kid, one of my favorite books was Dougal Dixon’s After Man: a Zoology of the Future. As an exercise in speculative biology, the book is responsible for maybe 90% of my enthusiasm about evolution, anatomy, and animal behavior. The fact that I know anything about those subjects at all is because I was enthusiastic for them, which puts Dixon to blame for most of what I know about the natural world. When I read The Art of Language Invention, the same thing happened with linguistics. You can’t create a good made-up language without knowing about real languages. Through the lens of his invented languages and his experience using them, Peterson educates the reader about the forces that shape the way we speak—a practical gift wrapped in shiny packaging. Like all good speculation, The Art of Language Invention educates and inspires as much as it entertains. And it IS entertaining, if for no other reason than the cat and onion jokes. Go read it. I expect to see your new language on my desk by Monday. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ How to be a conlanger. *by J***D on November 2, 2015* David Peterson is a genuinely nice guy, a trained linguist. a good writer and probably the most successful creator of languages today. All of this comes together in his book, which tells how to create a realistic language with copious examples from how Peterson actually did create Dothraki and the half dozen or so other languages now playing on your screen, large or small. While there is enough technical material to satisfy most conlanger needs, it is always wrapped in practical applications to make it palatable. The main theme is to grow your created language as much like a natural one as possible, starting in the past and working toward your target. As a result, most of standard linguistics finds their places along with a lot of less systematic advice -- the way things typically go, even if there is no rule about it. And each section is illustrated with an inside look at how its content applied in one of Peterson's languages, for the added buzz that may bring. Now, I am an engelanger myself, with only minor excursions into artlangs of the sort that Peterson is describing, so I feel somewhat left out. But only somewhat, for Peterson's discussion of linguistics and the way languages actually work have great value for more outre' languages -- as something to NOT do, if nothing else, but mainly as a guide to a unified creation that might be learnable and speakable, while still performing some experimental task. Auxlangers, seeking an international auxiliary language, will be less left out, since they do look for some sort of naturalness along with universal appeal. And it is quite clear that Petersons's languages, however many people learn them to talk to khaleesi, are meant for their own cultures, not for ours. If you are bitten by the desire to create a language, this is the easiest path to satisfying that urge> You may want to go to other works later, but this gives you the foundation and the direction you will need. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building - The Language Construction Kit - In the Land of Invented Languages: Adventures in Linguistic Creativity, Madness, and Genius --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/18564723-the-art-of-language-invention-from-horse-lords-to-dark](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/18564723-the-art-of-language-invention-from-horse-lords-to-dark) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-10-11*