Some time ago, I blogged about the book In the Land of Invented Languages and followed up with another post on Esperantists in the subway.
Among the invented languages that people actually speak is Klingon, which came from a television series, Star Trek. Today television is inventing more languages.
As Amy Chozick notes in the NY Times, “Game of Thrones” needed the feeling of authenticity that language (and subtitles) can impart.
She writes, “At his best friend’s wedding reception on the California coast, David J. Peterson stood to deliver his toast as best man. He held his Champagne glass high and shouted ‘Hajas!’ The 50 guests raised their glasses and chanted ‘Hajas!’ in unison.
“The word, which means ‘be strong’ and is pronounced ‘hah-DZHAS,’ has great significance for Mr. Peterson. He invented it, along with 3,250 other words (and counting), in the language he created for the HBO fantasy series ‘Game of Thrones,’ called Dothraki”

Slightly off-topic, but the ninja girl played me three different versions of the quite-lovely opening theme for Game of Thrones. First was the original version, which is a full-orchestra version of the theme, which sounds like a medieval tune (though I believe it was composed for the show) and accompanies a lovely animation of a map with towers and things appearing. Then she played me a version played all on period-authentic instruments–that is, the theme as it would sound if played on medieval this-world instruments. And **then** she played me a version done in what’s known as chiptune style: that is, done with the sounds used on early video games. In other words, it was an electronification of the theme, but done with “ancient” electronic sounds–so the electronic equivalent of ancient instruments. It was fascinating.
Wow! Will check them out. Are you watching the show? I don’t watch much TV and embarrassed myself by telling an executive of the show last summer that I don’t watch TV — and then mumbling something about sometimes watching Colbert reruns.