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The Conversation
The Conversation
Sam Passmore, Research Fellow, Evolution of Cultural Diversity Initiative, Australian National University

Do languages become less complex with more new adult speakers? Research shows it’s not that simple

Languages Science Advances
Pieter Bruegel the Elder / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

If you’ve ever seen Monty Python’s Life of Brian, you might remember that Romanes eunt domus means “Romans go home”. Or does it? Isn’t domus the nominative? Shouldn’t we be using the dative? Or is it the accusative?

Grammar is very complicated, especially if you are learning a new language. And if lots of people have to learn a new language, wouldn’t it be easier to make things simpler?

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