Not true with the lexicon for any given modern language, for example, which tends to get bigger and more complex as time goes by. English itself is a famous example. Why, we have a word for everything.  And some modern languages are quite conservative grammatically, like Lithuanian, which proudly boasts all seven of the original Indo-European noun cases (wow, an instrumental case?!). Lithuanian also has the richest participle system of all I-E languages, with participles derived from all tenses with distinct active and passive forms, and several gerund forms. Sounds exhausting. Linguistic evolution isn't simply a progress from complexity to simplicity or vice versa; change can work in many different ways, some of them producing greater complexity, or leaving past complexity in place.

Thanks, I now have the perfect gift for somebody!

Speaking of languages: I recently finished re-reading Bastard Tongues by linguist Derek Bickerton. It's a fascinating and very entertaining exploration of the evolution of creole languages around the world — as much an adventure story as anything else. I heartily recommend it! Here's the Amazon link in case anyone's interested.

Speaking of languages:  I recently finished re-reading Bastard Tongues by linguist Derek Bickerton.  It's a fascinating and very entertaining exploration of the evolution of creole languages around the world — as much an adventure story as anything else.  I heartily recommend it!  Here's the Amazon link in case anyone's interested.

Languages tend to get simpler as they get older . . . .

Eating all this English toffee won't make me any less sleepy.

Languages tend to get simpler as they get older, and the bits that fall off are the ones that carry no information. Like gender.

Languages tend to get simpler as they get older, and the bits that fall off are the ones that carry no information. Like gender.

Numbering systems tend to get simpler too—counting in Mandarin is much simpler than in English, which is simpler than French.

French has a further disadvantage: l'Académie Française. The French language actually has a sort of governing body that decides what is French and what isn't, a sure-fire way to freeze the evolution of the language and doom it to the dustbin of history in a few centuries. Assuming anyone pays it any attention.

Latin? Three genders but no articles. Closely related to Greek, three genders with articles. Lithuanian has strongly inflected noun system, like those ancient languages, but with no article. Icelandic uses only postfixed definite articles. English, with a developed system of definite and indefinite article, is more sophisticated than most languages. Try to have a Russian speaker make a quick and easy distinction between "a (any) banana lassi" and "the (one under discussion) banana lassi" and you'll get my point. That Frenchman was un homme complètement fou!

And I am aware that articles are weakened demonstratives, but demonstratives (like the Latin ille which yields Spanish el)  are not used like articles in these languages!

I consider it boorish to look under a chair to see what gender it is.

Latin? Three genders but no articles. Closely related to Greek, three genders with articles. Lithuanian has strongly inflected noun system, like those ancient languages, but with no article. Icelandic uses only postfixed definite articles. English, with a developed system of definite and indefinite article, is more sophisticated than most languages. Try to have a Russian speaker make a quick and easy distinction between "a (any) banana lassi" and "the (one under discussion) banana lassi" and you'll get my point. That Frenchman was un homme complètement fou!

And I am aware that articles are weakened demonstratives, but demonstratives (like the Latin ille which yields Spanish el)  are not used like articles in these languages!

Billy G has a soft spot for Librarians