I don't think you're right that the people behind Java didn't understand languages. There are actually a lot of things which Java gets right. For instance, Java

I don't think you're right that the people behind Java didn't understand languages. There are actually a lot of things which Java gets right. For instance, Java's namespacing is very good. Unfortunately, being smart and knowledgeable isn't enough to build a good language. A language has to "fit together" in a way that just can't be forced. This is why Java, whose design is pretty intelligent, is absolutely miserable to work in; while Perl, whose design is random and crufty by comparison, can be easy to work in and highly productive.