Creating Valyrian

[Westeros]

David Peterson, creator of the Dothraki knowledge, has written an article for CNN revealing that the producers of Game of Thrones hired him to create two dialects of Valyrian, the ancient language of Valyria: High Valyrian and Low Valyrian. Though it’s light on specific details, it gives a great sense of the process of differentiating one version from another.

Having watched the first four episodes, we can say categorically that Peterson’s done a fantastic job. It sounds quite remarkable in the mouths of the actors who speak it at length.

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[Loras]

I am extremely excited about hearing Valyrian - both High and the dialect forms of it.

It is great to finally hear something about it! Peterson's languages have added so much depth to this show and Valyrian will be a cornerstone going forward!

[Horus Ex Machina]

I've been waiting for this for a long time. It's interesting to hear how it all came about. I never figured them to leave it out but was still concerned until I finally heard the leaked dialogue. Very nice to finally get more details as there'd been some debate as to whether or not they would go as far as to develop the lower dialects for the show.

[boojam]

Yes I guess HBO finally released David Peterson from Radio Silence.

I am pleased to hear he created both High and Low Valyrian.

He says there is a rather lengthy Valyrian scene in the show, I am guessing that's when Dany is addressing the Unsullied troops? He says we hear some from Missandei first episode , surely , if so, Kraznys must be speaking it, since Missandei is with him, and then Dany must say a few words too. Having hung around the Free Cities we know Dany speaks Low Valyrian, but being a Valyrian I have always thought her default language was High Valyrian. I am supposing Missandei speaks High Valyrian too. In the book Missandei is surprised when , after the long harangue by Kraznys Dany speaks to her in Valyrian (I can't remember for the book if it is High Valyrian.)?

[Loras]

Yes I guess HBO finally released David Peterson from Radio Silence.

I am pleased to hear he created both High and Low Valyrian.

He says there is a rather lengthy Valyrian scene in the show, I am guessing that's when Dany is addressing the Unsullied troops? He says we hear some from Missandei first episode , surely , if so, Kraznys must be speaking it, since Missandei is with him, and then Dany must say a few words too. Having hung around the Free Cities we know Dany speaks Low Valyrian, but being a Valyrian I have always thought her default language was High Valyrian. I am supposing Missandei speaks High Valyrian too. In the book Missandei is surprised when , after the long harangue by Kraznys Dany speaks to her in Valyrian (I can't remember for the book if it is High Valyrian.)?

I guess it depends how she learnt Valyrian. My impression was that she picked it up in Braavos when she lived in the house with the red door. If that is correct then she would speak with a Braavosi dialect.

On the other hand, Tyrion was actually taught High Valyrian by a maester (IIRC), which would suggest that he would speak with the undiluted version of the tongue.

[boojam]

I guess it depends how she learnt Valyrian. My impression was that she picked it up in Braavos when she lived in the house with the red door. If that is correct then she would speak with a Braavosi dialect.

On the other hand, Tyrion was actually taught High Valyrian by a maester (IIRC), which would suggest that he would speak with the undiluted version of the tongue.

Her brother Viserys was nearly 10 when he left the KL court and you can be sure High Valyrian was his puppy language.

Without a doubt Daenerys learned to speak from him , and for that matter Ser Willem Darry must have spoken it too, and who ever Rhaella's court entourage was*, would spoken High Valyrian too. Living in the free cities she would have indeed picked up Low Valyrian. In fact , how come she speaks the Common Tongue so well and without an accent! :)

*(I wish GRRM had a story about who Ser Darry brought with him besides Daenerys and Viserys , because one would suspect some Targaryen attendants. Even if Ser Darry's household did want Dany and Viserys there, their minders would have been expelled with them which would have given them some support. Maybe they did.)

[JonStryker]

Wow, this is awesome! I really feared they were done with new languages after Dothraki!!

[Horus Ex Machina]

Her brother Viserys was nearly 10 when he left the KL court and you can be sure High Valyrian was his puppy language.

Without a doubt Daenerys learned to speak from him , and for that matter Ser Willem Darry must have spoken it too, and who ever Rhaella's court entourage was*, would spoken High Valyrian too. Living in the free cities she would have indeed picked up Low Valyrian. In fact , how come she speaks the Common Tongue so well and without an accent! :)

*(I wish GRRM had a story about who Ser Darry brought with him besides Daenerys and Viserys , because one would suspect some Targaryen attendants. Even if Ser Darry's household did want Dany and Viserys there, their minders would have been expelled with them which would have given them some support. Maybe they did.)

I've always had this impression as well.

[Aedan Stormrage]

Her brother Viserys was nearly 10 when he left the KL court and you can be sure High Valyrian was his puppy language.

Without a doubt Daenerys learned to speak from him , and for that matter Ser Willem Darry must have spoken it too, and who ever Rhaella's court entourage was*, would spoken High Valyrian too. Living in the free cities she would have indeed picked up Low Valyrian. In fact , how come she speaks the Common Tongue so well and without an accent! :)

*(I wish GRRM had a story about who Ser Darry brought with him besides Daenerys and Viserys , because one would suspect some Targaryen attendants. Even if Ser Darry's household did want Dany and Viserys there, their minders would have been expelled with them which would have given them some support. Maybe they did.)

She could have learnt High Valyrian in the Free Cities as well. I would imagine it is a formal and probably written language there much like how Romance kingdoms kept Latin for documents.

[boojam]

She could have learnt High Valyrian in the Free Cities as well. I would imagine it is a formal and probably written language there much like how Romance kingdoms kept Latin for documents.

That is true, tho one would suspect that Viserys and those mysterious ghostly members of Rhaella's court (whoever was left) would have been her first teachers, so when she says that Valyrian is my mother tongue she speaks the truth.

I am thinking it may be quite unusual is we really get a Braavosi variant of Valyrian. I think to the audience ear that the difference between Dothraki and Valyrian is discernible but various Vulgar forms of Valyrian are going to be confusing, even if all we have to go by is the subtitles!

Even tho the story goes that Kraznys used some Astapori Valyrian now and then.

I was really stunned in season three when Melisandre and Thoros have a rather (for the show) long conversation in Valyrian, I thought that was cool.

George is not Tolkien (can't think of another write who could create languages and good stories too) but he sure is interested in creating an interesting milieu , so we have all these languages and their derivatives. Tho doubt that GRRM will be going to David Peterson for passages in Valyrian. (I am skipping saying High Valyrian since I'm betting the show will never use the term.)

[The Dragon has three heads]

Yeah I'd say that it will all be valyrian, bravos as a destination for a couple of character maaaaay have their own language, but I doubt it. It's probably not needed and not worth the expense when Valyrian can seve in all cases except the old tounge-which I'm personally hoping to see.