To go further with this idea ...

Most computer languages (or, rather, every one except those derived from Perl) ... they have a formal specification. That specification (supposedly) goes through a number of iterations and is supposed to be proveable at the end. There is a set of algebraic things a computer language is supposed to be able to do/fit into. And, pretty much all the non-Perl-like languages can.

Perl wasn't developed in a university, though. It was developed as a way for one man to do what he needed to do. Sed, awk, and sh were also developed this way, coincedentally. The only difference between awk and Perl is that Larry didn't realize he wasn't allowed to develop a programming language without a formal specification. So, he did. :-)

You could do a formal spec on Perl. But, it might not be very consistent. I think there will be a formal spec for Perl6, though. (Reading some of the Apocalypses seems to indicate that to me.) Larry et al seem to be going towards cleaning up a number of the holes in the language, which is a good thing.

------
We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

Don't go borrowing trouble. For programmers, this means Worry only about what you need to implement.