The Art of Language Invention
From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves, the Words Behind World-Building
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $18.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
David J. Peterson
About this listen
An insider's tour through the construction of invented languages from the best-selling author and creator of languages for 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 Michael Jackson. 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.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2015 David J. Peterson (P)2015 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
On Writing and Worldbuilding - Volume I
- By: Timothy Hickson
- Narrated by: Larissa Thompson, Merphy Napier
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writing advice tends to be full of "rules" and "tips" which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. In On Writing and Worldbuilding, we will discuss specific and applicable ideas to consider, from effective methods of delivering exposition and foreshadowing, to how communication, commerce, and control play into the fall of an empire.
-
-
all hail mishka
- By M. M. on 03-25-21
By: Timothy Hickson
-
Worldbuilding for Fantasy Fans and Authors
- Forging Fantasy Realms, Book 1
- By: M.D. Presley
- Narrated by: Zac Katz-Stein
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Be you an established planner, pantser, or unsure new author, this comprehensive guide has you covered. Adopting a "tools not rules" approach, you’ll discover dozens of definitive worldbuilding tricks and strategies, including surveys showing what audiences want; identifying ineffective, effective, and inspired worldbuilding; the ins and outs of immersion; enhancing audience experience with fantasy conceits; and the four Cs of worldbuilding.
-
-
Stick to storytelling, not audience reaction
- By Historian1912 on 10-12-23
By: M.D. Presley
-
Linguistics
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: P.H. Matthews
- Narrated by: James Conlan
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Linguistics falls in the gap between arts and science, on the edges of which the most fascinating discoveries and the most important problems are found. Rather than following the conventional organization of many contemporary introductions to the subject, the author of this stimulating guide begins his discussion with the oldest, "arts" end of the subject and moves chronologically through to the newest research - the "science" aspects.
-
-
Almost Impossible to Listen to Without Text
- By Drone Boy on 05-06-24
By: P.H. Matthews
-
How the Earth Works
- By: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession
- Length: 24 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.
-
-
Excellent course
- By Doug B. on 05-23-19
By: Michael E. Wysession, and others
-
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
- The Untold History of English
- By: John McWhorter
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.
-
-
Great for casual linguists
- By Bertie on 01-11-10
By: John McWhorter
-
Because Internet
- Understanding the New Rules of Language
- By: Gretchen McCulloch
- Narrated by: Gretchen McCulloch
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Because Internet is for anyone who's ever puzzled over how to punctuate a text message or wondered where memes come from. It's the perfect book for understanding how the internet is changing the English language, why that's a good thing, and what our online interactions reveal about who we are.
-
-
Why Do Authors Insist on Reading Their Own Books?
- By Ross Bennett on 08-20-19
-
On Writing and Worldbuilding - Volume I
- By: Timothy Hickson
- Narrated by: Larissa Thompson, Merphy Napier
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writing advice tends to be full of "rules" and "tips" which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. In On Writing and Worldbuilding, we will discuss specific and applicable ideas to consider, from effective methods of delivering exposition and foreshadowing, to how communication, commerce, and control play into the fall of an empire.
-
-
all hail mishka
- By M. M. on 03-25-21
By: Timothy Hickson
-
Worldbuilding for Fantasy Fans and Authors
- Forging Fantasy Realms, Book 1
- By: M.D. Presley
- Narrated by: Zac Katz-Stein
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Be you an established planner, pantser, or unsure new author, this comprehensive guide has you covered. Adopting a "tools not rules" approach, you’ll discover dozens of definitive worldbuilding tricks and strategies, including surveys showing what audiences want; identifying ineffective, effective, and inspired worldbuilding; the ins and outs of immersion; enhancing audience experience with fantasy conceits; and the four Cs of worldbuilding.
-
-
Stick to storytelling, not audience reaction
- By Historian1912 on 10-12-23
By: M.D. Presley
-
Linguistics
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: P.H. Matthews
- Narrated by: James Conlan
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Linguistics falls in the gap between arts and science, on the edges of which the most fascinating discoveries and the most important problems are found. Rather than following the conventional organization of many contemporary introductions to the subject, the author of this stimulating guide begins his discussion with the oldest, "arts" end of the subject and moves chronologically through to the newest research - the "science" aspects.
-
-
Almost Impossible to Listen to Without Text
- By Drone Boy on 05-06-24
By: P.H. Matthews
-
How the Earth Works
- By: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession
- Length: 24 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.
-
-
Excellent course
- By Doug B. on 05-23-19
By: Michael E. Wysession, and others
-
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
- The Untold History of English
- By: John McWhorter
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.
-
-
Great for casual linguists
- By Bertie on 01-11-10
By: John McWhorter
-
Because Internet
- Understanding the New Rules of Language
- By: Gretchen McCulloch
- Narrated by: Gretchen McCulloch
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Because Internet is for anyone who's ever puzzled over how to punctuate a text message or wondered where memes come from. It's the perfect book for understanding how the internet is changing the English language, why that's a good thing, and what our online interactions reveal about who we are.
-
-
Why Do Authors Insist on Reading Their Own Books?
- By Ross Bennett on 08-20-19
-
How to Write Best-Selling Fiction
- By: James Scott Bell, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: James Scott Bell
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most people think the way to write a best seller is to have a lot of talent and even more luck. As you will learn, there is a recipe for success, and luck may be the least important ingredient in creating a best seller. No one has cracked the code better than James Scott Bell. A best-selling author himself, and the author of the number-one best seller for writers, Plot & Structure, Mr. Bell has been teaching the principles of best-selling fiction for over 20 years, principles that apply to any genre or style.
-
-
I'm a writer and this course is to blame.
- By accentrique on 07-22-19
By: James Scott Bell, and others
-
Word by Word
- The Secret Life of Dictionaries
- By: Kory Stamper
- Narrated by: Kory Stamper
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While most of us might take dictionaries for granted, the process of writing them is in fact as lively and dynamic as language itself. With sharp wit and irreverence, Kory Stamper cracks open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography - from the agonizing decisions about what and how to define to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language.
-
-
Kory should narrate more Audible books!
- By Friendly on 04-24-17
By: Kory Stamper
-
Babel
- Around the World in Twenty Languages
- By: Gaston Dorren
- Narrated by: George Backman
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
English is the world language, except that most of the world doesn’t speak it - only one in five people does. Dorren calculates that to speak fluently with half of the world’s 7.4 billion people in their mother tongues, you would need to know no fewer than 20 languages. He sets out to explore these top 20 world languages, which range from the familiar (French, Spanish) to the surprising (Malay, Javanese, Bengali).
-
-
Breezy
- By Bessie Mae on 11-01-23
By: Gaston Dorren
-
The Triumph of Seeds
- How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses & Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History
- By: Thor Hanson
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in a world of seeds. From our morning toast to the cotton in our clothes, they are quite literally the stuff and staff of life, supporting diets, economies, and civilizations around the globe. Just as the search for nutmeg and the humble peppercorn drove the Age of Discovery, so did coffee beans help fuel the Enlightenment and cottonseed help spark the Industrial Revolution. And from the fall of Rome to the Arab Spring, the fate of nations continues to hinge on the seeds of a Middle Eastern grass known as wheat.
-
-
Delightfully simplistic!
- By Adrian on 03-30-16
By: Thor Hanson
-
Language Families of the World
- By: John McWhorter, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University takes you back through time and around the world, following the linguistic trails left by generations of humans that lead back to the beginnings of language. Utilizing historical theories and cutting-edge research, these 34 astonishing lectures will introduce you to the major language families of the world and their many offspring, including a variety of languages that are no longer spoken but provide vital links between past and present.
-
-
Entertaining
- By Mark on 02-10-19
By: John McWhorter, and others
-
The Seven Basic Plots
- Why We Tell Stories
- By: Christopher Booker
- Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
- Length: 38 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This remarkable and monumental book at last provides a comprehensive answer to the age-old riddle of whether there are only a small number of "basic stories" in the world. Using a wealth of examples, from ancient myths and folk tales via the plays and novels of great literature to the popular movies and TV soap operas of today, it reveals that there are seven archetypal themes which recur throughout every kind of storytelling.
-
-
Save your time and money, the book is worthless
- By Kindle Customer on 08-20-20
-
Save the Cat!
- The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
- By: Blake Snyder
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here's what started the phenomenon: This book has been a best seller for over 15 years and has been used by screenwriters around the world! Blake Snyder tells all in this fast, funny, and candid look inside the movie business. Save the Cat is just one of many ironclad rules for making your ideas more marketable and your script more satisfying.
-
-
Don't waste your time
- By Amazon Customer on 02-05-20
By: Blake Snyder
-
The Story of Human Language
- By: John McWhorter, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 18 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Language defines us as a species, placing humans head and shoulders above even the most proficient animal communicators. But it also beguiles us with its endless mysteries, allowing us to ponder why different languages emerged, why there isn't simply a single language, how languages change over time and whether that's good or bad, and how languages die out and become extinct.
-
-
You'll Never Look at Languages the Same Way Again
- By SAMA on 03-11-14
By: John McWhorter, and others
-
Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills
- By: Steven Novella, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Steven Novella
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No skill is more important in today's world than being able to think about, understand, and act on information in an effective and responsible way. What's more, at no point in human history have we had access to so much information, with such relative ease, as we do in the 21st century. But because misinformation out there has increased as well, critical thinking is more important than ever. These 24 rewarding lectures equip you with the knowledge and techniques you need to become a savvier, sharper critical thinker in your professional and personal life.
-
-
Same Material Different Title
- By rkeinc on 09-21-14
By: Steven Novella, and others
-
Language Unlimited
- The Science Behind Our Most Creative Power
- By: David Adger
- Narrated by: David Adger
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
All humans, but no other species, have the capacity to create and understand language. It provides structure to our thoughts, allowing us to plan, communicate, and create new ideas, without limit. Yet we have only finite experiences, and our languages have finite stores of words. Where does our linguistic creativity come from? How does the endless scope of language emerge from our limited selves? Drawing on research from neuroscience, psychology, and linguistics, David Adger takes the listener on a journey to the hidden structure behind all we say (or sign) and understand.
-
-
Useful and interesting content but awful reader
- By Cliente Amazon on 11-23-20
By: David Adger
-
Video Game Storytelling
- What Every Developer Needs to Know About Narrative Techniques
- By: Evan Skolnick
- Narrated by: D.G. Chichester
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With increasingly sophisticated video games being consumed by an enthusiastic and expanding audience, the pressure is on game developers like never before to deliver exciting stories and engaging characters. With Video Game Storytelling, game writer and producer Evan Skolnick provides a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow guide to storytelling basics and how they can be applied at every stage of the development process - by all members of the team.
-
-
Nice but shallow
- By Amazon Customer on 01-14-22
By: Evan Skolnick
-
The Horse, the Wheel, and Language
- How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World
- By: David W. Anthony
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Roughly half the world's population speaks languages derived from a shared linguistic source known as Proto-Indo-European. But who were the early speakers of this ancient mother tongue, and how did they manage to spread it around the globe? The Horse, the Wheel, and Language solves a puzzle that has vexed scholars for two centuries and recovers a magnificent and influential civilization from the past.
-
-
Excellent
- By Anthony on 08-09-19
By: David W. Anthony
Critic reviews
“David Peterson's language work transformed our show, investing it with a sense of reality and history that would have been impossible without him. There's nothing like the real thing, and David Peterson is it. This fascinating book will not only illuminate the task of language creation - it will make you look at your own language in a whole new way.” (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, co-creators of HBO's Game of Thrones)
“George R. R. Martin created Khal Drogo, and David Benioff and Dan Weiss believed in me, but David Peterson gave me life.” (Jason Momoa)
“David J. Peterson’s The Art of Language Invention accomplishes a minor miracle in taking a potentially arcane discipline and infusing it with life, humor and passion. It makes a compelling and entertaining case for language creation as visual and aural poetry. I cherish words, I love books about words and for me this is the best book about language since Stephen Fry’s The Ode Less Traveled. And, best of all, there’s a phrasebook!” (Kevin Murphy, co-creator and showrunner of Syfy’s Defiance)
Related to this topic
-
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
- The Untold History of English
- By: John McWhorter
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.
-
-
Great for casual linguists
- By Bertie on 01-11-10
By: John McWhorter
-
Words on the Move
- Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally)
- By: John McWhorter
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant "blessed"? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?
-
-
Review By a Fan
- By Margaret on 09-25-16
By: John McWhorter
-
Words and Rules
- The Ingredients of Language
- By: Steven Pinker
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in 2000, Words and Rules remains one of Pinker's most provocative and accessible books, illuminating the fascinating relationship between the brain, the mind, and how language makes us humans.
-
-
Amazing how much irregular verbs can teach.
- By Tristan on 04-10-16
By: Steven Pinker
-
The Mother Tongue
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson - the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent - brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience, and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't) to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.
-
-
More satire than history
- By Barbara Kindle Customer on 12-18-15
By: Bill Bryson
-
A Little History of the World
- By: E. H. Gombrich
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
E. H. Gombrich's world history, an international best seller now available in English for the first time, is a text dominated not by dates and facts but by the sweep of experience across the centuries, a guide to humanity's achievements, and an acute witness to its frailties.
-
-
an enlightening book; very well read
- By A.B.Oxford on 06-03-06
By: E. H. Gombrich
-
The Story of English in 100 Words
- By: David Crystal
- Narrated by: David Crystal
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this unique new history of the world's most ubiquitous language, linguistics expert David Crystal draws on words that best illustrate the huge variety of sources, influences, and events that have helped to shape our vernacular since the first definitively English word was written down in the fifth century ("roe", in case you are wondering). Featuring Latinate and Celtic words, weasel words and nonce-words, ancient words ("loaf") to cutting edge ("twittersphere") and spanning the indispensable words that shape our tongue ("and", "what") to the more fanciful ("fopdoodle"), Crystal takes us along the winding byways of language.
-
-
Random but entertaining
- By Sean on 04-01-13
By: David Crystal
-
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
- The Untold History of English
- By: John McWhorter
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.
-
-
Great for casual linguists
- By Bertie on 01-11-10
By: John McWhorter
-
Words on the Move
- Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally)
- By: John McWhorter
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant "blessed"? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?
-
-
Review By a Fan
- By Margaret on 09-25-16
By: John McWhorter
-
Words and Rules
- The Ingredients of Language
- By: Steven Pinker
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in 2000, Words and Rules remains one of Pinker's most provocative and accessible books, illuminating the fascinating relationship between the brain, the mind, and how language makes us humans.
-
-
Amazing how much irregular verbs can teach.
- By Tristan on 04-10-16
By: Steven Pinker
-
The Mother Tongue
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson - the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent - brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience, and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't) to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.
-
-
More satire than history
- By Barbara Kindle Customer on 12-18-15
By: Bill Bryson
-
A Little History of the World
- By: E. H. Gombrich
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
E. H. Gombrich's world history, an international best seller now available in English for the first time, is a text dominated not by dates and facts but by the sweep of experience across the centuries, a guide to humanity's achievements, and an acute witness to its frailties.
-
-
an enlightening book; very well read
- By A.B.Oxford on 06-03-06
By: E. H. Gombrich
-
The Story of English in 100 Words
- By: David Crystal
- Narrated by: David Crystal
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this unique new history of the world's most ubiquitous language, linguistics expert David Crystal draws on words that best illustrate the huge variety of sources, influences, and events that have helped to shape our vernacular since the first definitively English word was written down in the fifth century ("roe", in case you are wondering). Featuring Latinate and Celtic words, weasel words and nonce-words, ancient words ("loaf") to cutting edge ("twittersphere") and spanning the indispensable words that shape our tongue ("and", "what") to the more fanciful ("fopdoodle"), Crystal takes us along the winding byways of language.
-
-
Random but entertaining
- By Sean on 04-01-13
By: David Crystal
-
The Glamour of Grammar
- By: Roy Peter Clark
- Narrated by: Roy Peter Clark
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Early in the history of English, glamour and grammar were the same word, linked to enchantment and magical spells. Now grammar brings to mind language bullies and bored-out-of-their-skulls students. Roy Peter Clark, one of America’s most influential writing teachers, wants to change that by putting the glamour back into grammar.
-
-
Wasteful
- By ABID on 12-05-13
By: Roy Peter Clark
-
Louder Than Words
- The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning
- By: Benjamin K. Bergen
- Narrated by: Benjamin K. Bergen
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether it’s brusque, convincing, fraught with emotion, or dripping with innuendo, language is fundamentally a tool for conveying meaning - a uniquely human magic trick in which you vibrate your vocal cords to make your innermost thoughts pop up in someone else’s mind. You can use it to talk about all sorts of things - from your new labradoodle puppy to the expansive gardens at Versailles, from Roger Federer’s backhand to things that don’t exist at all, like flying pigs.
-
-
Fun But Technical--Glad I Got It On Sale
- By Gillian on 05-22-17
-
How Language Began
- The Story of Humanity's Greatest Invention
- By: Daniel L. Everett
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mankind has a distinct advantage over other terrestrial species: we talk to one another. But how did we acquire the most advanced form of communication on Earth? Daniel L. Everett, a "bombshell" linguist and "instant folk hero" (Tom Wolfe, Harper's), provides in this sweeping history a comprehensive examination of the evolutionary story of language, from the earliest speaking attempts by hominids to the more than 7,000 languages that exist today.
-
-
Hard to endure
- By Michael D. Busch on 09-09-18
-
The Prodigal Tongue
- The Love-Hate Relationship Between American and British English
- By: Lynne Murphy
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"If Shakespeare were alive today, he'd sound like an American." "English accents are the sexiest." "Americans have ruined the English language." "Technology means everyone will have to speak the same English." Such claims about the English language are often repeated but rarely examined. Professor Lynne Murphy is on the linguistic front line. In The Prodigal Tongue she explores the fiction and reality of the special relationship between British and American English.
-
-
TOO MUCH BITTERNESS
- By Tina on 08-27-20
By: Lynne Murphy
-
Memory Craft
- Improve Your Memory with the Most Powerful Methods in History
- By: Lynne Kelly
- Narrated by: Nancy Linari
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Groundbreaking anthropologist and memory champion Lynne Kelly reveals how we can use ancient and traditional mnemonic methods to enhance and expand our memory.
-
-
So grateful this is on Audible!
- By happy_reader on 02-19-22
By: Lynne Kelly
-
A Most Elegant Equation
- Euler’s Formula and the Beauty of Mathematics
- By: David Stipp
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bertrand Russell wrote that mathematics can exalt "as surely as poetry". This is especially true of one equation: ei(pi) + 1 = 0, the brainchild of Leonhard Euler, the Mozart of mathematics. More than two centuries after Euler's death, it is still regarded as a conceptual diamond of unsurpassed beauty. Called Euler's identity, or God's equation, it includes just five numbers but represents an astonishing revelation of hidden connections.
-
-
Good treatment of the subject
- By Kindle Customer on 04-09-18
By: David Stipp
-
A Brief History of Infinity: The Quest to Think the Unthinkable
- Brief Histories
- By: Brian Clegg
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.' Douglas Adams, Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.We human beings have trouble with infinity - yet infinity is a surprisingly human subject. Philosophers and mathematicians have gone mad contemplating its nature and complexity - yet it is a concept routinely used by schoolchildren. Exploring the infinite is a
-
-
Really not great in Audio, not great otherwise
- By Michael on 03-29-13
By: Brian Clegg
-
You Say Potato: A Book About Accents
- By: Ben Crystal, David Crystal
- Narrated by: David Crystal, Ben Crystal, Jane Savage, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Some people say 'sconn' while others say 'schown'. He says 'bath' while she says 'bahth'. You say 'potayto'. I say 'potahto'. And - wait a second, no one says 'potahto'. No one's ever said 'potahto'. Have they? From reconstructing Shakespeare's accent to the rise and fall of received pronunciation, actor Ben Crystal and his linguist father, David, travel the world in search of the stories of spoken English.
-
-
Wish there were more native recordings.
- By Matt Dobler on 07-01-16
By: Ben Crystal, and others
-
The Art of Nonfiction
- By: Ayn Rand
- Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rand takes listeners step by step through the writing process, providing insightful observations and invaluable techniques along the way. She discusses the psychological aspects of writing and the roles played by the conscious and subconscious mind. She talks about articles and books, explaining how to select a subject and theme, how to identify your audience, and how to write the first draft.
-
-
Great Content, but the narrator is annoying
- By Ms on 01-26-09
By: Ayn Rand
-
How to Speak and Write Correctly
- By: Joseph Devlin
- Narrated by: Shawn Grisden
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book has no pretension about it whatever -- it is neither a Manual of Rhetoric, expatiating on the dogmas of style, nor a Grammar full of arbitrary rules and exceptions. It is merely an effort to help ordinary, everyday people to express themselves in ordinary, everyday language, in a proper manner.
By: Joseph Devlin
-
Smart Thinking
- Three Essential Keys to Solve Problems, Innovate, and Get Things Done
- By: Art Markman
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Think smart people are just born that way? Think again. Drawing on diverse studies of the mind, from psychology to linguistics, philosophy, and learning science, Art Markman, Ph.D., demonstrates the difference between "smart thinking" and raw intelligence, showing listeners how memory works, how to learn effectively, and how to use knowledge to get things done. He then introduces his own three-part formula for listeners to employ "smart thinking" in their daily lives.
-
-
I feel asleep in class
- By Lee on 12-14-12
By: Art Markman
-
How to Write Short
- Word Craft for Fast Times
- By: Roy Peter Clark
- Narrated by: Roy Peter Clark
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In How to Write Short , Roy Peter Clark turns his attention to the art of painting a thousand pictures with just a few words. Short forms of writing have always existed - from ship logs and telegrams to prayers and haikus. But in this ever-changing Internet age, short-form writing has become an essential skill. Clark covers how to write effective and powerful titles, headlines, essays, sales pitches, Tweets, letters, and even self-descriptions for online dating services.
-
-
Ironically long
- By Amazon Customer on 03-14-16
By: Roy Peter Clark
What listeners say about The Art of Language Invention
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Stacy
- 03-11-16
The History of Conlangs & Creating Languages
What made the experience of listening to The Art of Language Invention the most enjoyable?
The author is so knowledgable, and it was amazing to listen to a history and overview of something I wasn't familiar with but was very curious about.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Art of Language Invention?
Going through all the different sounds in different languages! I learned why some sounds are so difficult for me to pronounce when learning other languages, and practiced along making different sounds.
What about David J. Peterson’s performance did you like?
The narration seemed so patient, going through every sound with practiced ease. As an ardent geek, there were also plenty of pop culture references in here that I really enjoyed.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
When David J. Peterson was talking about how he felt when he saw one of the languages that he created recreated on the set of the SyFy show Defiance, it was clear that he put so much time and thought into his work.
Any additional comments?
This book made me feel so fascinated with the world of consigning. Even though I will probably never create one myself, I love this book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Haim Shemer
- 07-22-24
conlanging :3
conlanging :3
conlanging :3
conlanging :3
conlanging :3
conlanging :3
conlanging :3
conlanging :3
conlanging :3
(i like the writing systems. i mifht make my own language too sometime soon)
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Christopher
- 04-18-16
entertaining and fascinated
As a non con-linger, this was an awesome read. I feel like this book struck the right balance of being a how-to manual for con-lingers, and general linguistics insight book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ashley T.
- 04-18-16
Great resource, but not conducive to audiobook
Peterson is one of the foremost voices in language invention today, but this book didn't really lend itself to an audio production. Keep the PDF included with your audible purchase close at hand in order to follow along. It would've been more helpful to have actually cited the page number of the PDF, rather than him just saying, "refer to your PDF," as the PDF is 50+ pages long.
Otherwise, this is a great resource for those wanting to create their own language or are wanting to better understand the process of language invention and linguistics.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bartosz
- 06-14-17
David Peterson's guidebook for conlanging
What did you love best about The Art of Language Invention?
All the languages on Earth are the core of fascination for linguists. David Peterson is not just a specialist in existing languages but also a language constructor ( in abridged form: conlanger ). He is most popular thanks to Dothraki or Valyrian language in George R. R. Martin’s productions as Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire. Peterson's creations were recognized in the public sphere which is television, yet little of the audience knew how complex the languages in these series were. Nonetheless, David Peterson seems to be sufficiently satisifed with the appearance of the language itself; its influence on the environment in which the movie or series is set. The videoblogs on Peterson’s YouTube channel raise the correlative subjects and holds the same title as the followingly reviewed work. The other book that Peterson wrote was “The Living Language Dothraki” describing the main fictional language in Game of Thrones.
The art of Language Invention may be defined as an indispensable guidebook for people who are willing to or already construct naturalistic fictional languages. It discusses the most crucial and challenging elements that a language normally contains. In the Postscript (p.251, p. 252) warns the readers that the handbook is exclusively for those who want to create naturalistic conlangs, i.e. artificial communication systems that follow linguistic principles as phonological assimilations or some logical associations in etymology. Although, it does not mean he discourages potential “surreal conlangers”, as he proposedly called them, even the opposite.
The book is divided into four chapters and each of them consists of subchapters that examine several issues and basic linguistic topics. The further the reader goes, the more complex the idea becomes. In Chapter I, Peterson felt obliged to present the primary subjects of linguistics - sounds, but also took it reasonably further.
”Humans can do some pretty amazing things with their mouths, hands, and bodies, but everything we can possibly do is still quite human. What if there was a being that didn’t have our unique physiology? How might they communicate?” (Sounds: Alien Sound Systems)
Instead of limitting the phonology to human speech, he made an attempt to restrain potential conlangers from an anthropocentric concept of phonetics and phonology which exemplifies his care for developping reader’s imagination.
“(...) we’re able to understand and work with our five senses, so an alien language would probably need to make use of at least one of those senses, unless you’re able to think up a distinct type of sense (thought doesn’t count). In order to determine what makes sense, you’ll first have to come up with an alien” (Sounds: Alien Sound Systems)
Peterson does not seem to quit here at this point since the further chapters follow the same concept. Chapter II is about morphology. In there, he provides a sizeable number of examples either from his own created languages (including Shiväisith, Irathient and others that are listed in the Phrase Books section) or natural languages that often seem bizarre to English native speakers, as Hindi that uses a completely different noun vs. object strategy in the past tense (p.131, 132, 133). The third chapter focuses on evolution which is regarded as the most important by Peterson. The final chapter discusses script and very unfamiliar to the Europeans types of writing systems.
Instead of exemplifying linguistic data for conlangers to memorise, Peterson showed them in a speculative perspective:
“How do you pronounce la§a? Pretty much like lava, except instead of putting a v sound in between the a vowels, you clap your hands together once. So l-a-CLAP!-a. No natural language on Earth does this, except in songs or language games (remember that dog Bingo?). There’s no reason why a language couldn’t do this (it’d be fairly simple to incorporate it into a language. Try replacing the sound f with a clap in English.”
Additionaly, it s not only the art of the language invention itself that makes the book captivating and comprehensible but also the casual humour and fairly informal style gives the original shape to the whole text. This gives the effect of the bond between the author and the reader whose interest met with Peterson’s aim. The excerpt below is another illustration in what way Peterson humourises a compendium:
Wherever you are (especially if you’re in a library, bookstore, or at work), open your mouth and scream. Loud.
SCREAM!!!
That’s a vowel.
A vowel sound is produced when air is allowed to pass out of the lungs totally unimpeded.
And the audiobook is not an exception. In spite of the graphs, difficult terms and the amazing ideas, it is also a comprehensive and constructed in a non-standard way source. Nevertheless, he does not flout the importance of the careful steps of the evolutionary process of the language. The difficulty of it might disappoint beginners in this activity. Obviously, once the terms are defined, it is assumed that the reader memorises them in order to understand the ideas put further. This is why the book appears “clubby” at times.
However, several things were not developed as diligently as others and they seemed to have been written in a rush. For example, in the explanation of the verb moods or tenses, the information appeared to be quite concise and it did not feel as accessible as the topics given in the Chapter II.
The work has been helpful for many language specialists and amateur linguists — David J. Peterson felt obliged to transfer the ideas given on paper to the videos on YouTube after the book met people’s expectations. However, the book is significantly more cohesive with the contents included. It is best to examine the book on your own rather than reading the review. The author deserves his recognition as the language creator of the modern age, even though this is just the beginning.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- H.Bryant
- 11-10-16
Amazing Resource!
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
YES!! It's funny, sarcastic AND informative. A subject that could be super dry and boring to those who are not conlangs is made fun, intriguing, and fascinating.
You'd need to get both the audio book AND the printed on (for visual folks) as there are visual clues that are important.
Who was your favorite character and why?
n/a It's an educational/informational book.
What does David J. Peterson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
A human voice that is warm, friendly and funny.
What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?
That languages have specific patterns to them, like songs. Where an accent or emphasis is on words in general is specific to the language itself. So , if you were knowledgeable enough, you could tell a conlang's native language OR know what irl language they based theirs on.
That and I learned what a conlang is as well!
Any additional comments?
If you are a writer that need to develop a language, read it. It's so worth it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MD
- 12-11-17
A great book for language lovers.
I really enjoyed this book. I am not interested in making my own language, but am a fan a learning all about languages and how they work. This book is great for language lovers and a must if you are interested in making one of your own. The book has a little of everything that is language related.
The book is read by the author himself so it adds to the great quality of the book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Barrett
- 06-29-24
It’s not about creating languages, it’s a manual.
My mistake was thinking this was about the creative process and of interesting anecdotes of language creation. It’s more of a dense instructional guide. Amazing if you want to be a “conlanger” but way too “in the weeds” if you want interesting stories about the process of integrating Dothraki into GOT etc. I really tried to stick with it, but had to bail eventually. I just wasn’t the right audience.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!