What language do they speak in House of the Dragon (& its origins) Explored

One of the most intriguing aspects of House of the Dragon is getting to see the Targaryen culture operating in full force. Focusing on the conflict between Rhaenyra and Aegon Targaryen II as they fight for the Iron Throne, the show dives deep into this royal family. Carrying Valyrian blood among them, they have a language that's quite unique to them with a guttural sound.

In House of the Dragon, the Targaryens can be seen speaking High Valyrian. The language is spoken by the noble Dragonlord families and originated from Valyria and the Valyrian Freehold. It goes deep into the history of the Valyrians and is also culturally similar to how Classical Latin was in Medieval Europe.

While it is commonly spoken in House of the Dragon, over the years the language slowly died out as it became a language of the past.

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House of the Dragon's High Valyrian originated in Valyria

The High Valyrian language was commonly spoken in the Valyrian Freehold which was situated in the Essos. While there isn't a clear answer on how the language originated, its roots can be found in Valyria.

It's commonly spoken by noble-borns such as the Targaryens. The language also first made its debut in Game of Thrones season 3. In a scene, Daenerys Targaryen can be seen speaking High Valyrian to show her old roots and often communicates with Missandei in the language as well. The language is used to communicate with dragons as well.

However, not many characters spoke the tongue in Game of Thrones, and the language itself is heavily featured in House of the Targaryen. Characters like Rhaenyra Targaryen, Aemond Targaryen, and Daemon Targaryen can be seen speaking it quite a lot.

When the Essos was essentially dominated by the Valyrians, they would often force people to speak in their language as well. However, following the Doom of Valyrian, the language died down and was only referenced by scholars. However, words like dracarys (dragonfire), valar morghulis (all men must die), and valar dohaeris (all men must serve) did become common.

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Who created the Valyrian language?

The Valyrian language featured in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon was created by American language creator David J. Peterson and Geroge R.R. Martin. Peterson also created the Dothraki language featured in Game of Thrones.

Talking to Rolling Stone in 2017, Peterson spoke about how he wanted the language to match the aesthetic of the show and the book while also consulting A Song of Ice and Fire.

"There were a number of names, but there were also a bunch of short phrases - some actual complete sentences that were in there. The language I was going to be creating had to match both the aesthetic in the book and whatever grammar was in the book," said Petersen.

And while the language itself is something that was created from the ground up, many actors on the shows have enjoyed speaking it as well. House of the Dragon star Emma D'Arcy spoke to The Hollywood Reporter in 2022 about how satisfying speaking the language was, and how they can also order a cappuccino while speaking it.

"I can do the basics. I can order you a cappuccino or hail a cab or whatever. I really enjoyed that process. I was lucky because I had a big High Valyrian monologue, but I didn't have lots of dialogue sections in it. It's a fully operational language, so I think it’s really satisfying to unpick the thing," said D'Arcy.

The language itself has grown quite popular among fans of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones as well, and given the amount of depth it is given in the show, it surely doesn't come as a surprise.

You can check out House of the Dragon on Max right now.