Game of Thrones Linguist Responds to Emilia Clarke’s Dothraki Remarks
Emilia Clarke addressed claims about her Dothraki skills, prompting a response from the language’s creator. David J. Peterson clarified the intent behind his comments and praised Clarke’s portrayal.
Anyone who’s ever tried to master a new tongue—let alone one invented for television—will sympathise with Emilia Clarke’s experience on Game of Thrones. The actor, best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen, recently shared her reaction to reading that she’d been criticised for her Dothraki by the language’s creator.
During a chat on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Clarke recalled,
“I put so much energy into learning Dothraki. I read in an article, the creator of the language said that I sucked at Dothraki. I was like, 'Bro, it's not a real language!' I can't suck at it because me saying it on a TV show – that's the language, that's how it goes.”
She went on to admit,
“I was so hurt and really pissed.”
Misunderstandings and Clarifications
David J. Peterson, the linguist behind Dothraki, soon stepped in to clear the air. In a statement, he explained,
“I think Emilia may have misunderstood what I said, because I've never criticised her Dothraki. Why would I? Her character was never supposed to speak it like a first language, so she never had to be good at it.”
Peterson’s previous interviews have echoed this sentiment. Back in 2017, he told Rolling Stone,
“It's always funny to me to hear Emilia Clarke speak Dothraki. Of course, her character is not supposed to be fluent, and it really sounds…not fluent.”
He added,
“It's great. For her character, she understands and she can speak. She just doesn't sound quite right.”
Praise for Clarke’s Performance
Despite the confusion, Peterson has consistently spoken positively about Clarke’s efforts. In a later video for Vanity Fair, he remarked that her Dothraki
“sounded very nice.”
The intention was never to disparage her performance, but rather to highlight that Daenerys was never meant to be a native speaker within the story’s context.
Learning lines in a constructed language is no small feat, especially when millions are watching. Clarke’s portrayal, with all its linguistic quirks, was in keeping with her character’s journey and limitations.
Looking Ahead in Westeros
Meanwhile, the world of Westeros continues to expand. The much-anticipated spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, adapted from George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg tales, is set to premiere on 18 January. Fans are already debating which upcoming series they’re most eager to see—be it A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Wonder Man, Lanterns, Spider-Man: Noir, or VisionQuest.