Language

I do not think that it is possible to choose between these two quotes, "images of the past embodied in language" and "old language is a barrier to modern progress". These two quotes go hand in hand. Progress is not possible without change, however there is a difference between progress and forgetting your heritage.

Old language is a barrier to modern progress, for example Latin is a dead language, it is no longer learned as a native language. However, the history and culture of those times is still remembered and still embraced. Latin was too difficult of a language to carry on through the centuries and many counties began to adopt new languages.

Even though languages are replaced it does not mean that the history is lost. Those moments in time, the memories will all be remembered along with the language that was spoken at the time. Even though those languages are no long spoken, their history still remains. For example most people know that Caesar wrote the Latin language and they understand the culture of them time.

There are extinct languages. This is not always because a simpler language comes along, many languages or dialects of languages are lost because the people that speak them die out and there is no one left to pass on that tradition. But like all traditions, over time they change or are added too. For example the English language, there is a modern English and an Old English. English adapted because the people who spoke it needed it too.

Language is important, but sometimes they adapt to work better with the modern culture and sometimes they do not. The important part is that there is language to describe the events we experience and continue our culture, even if it means that language must adapt and change.