Why does English have an indefinite article? [closed]

I've seen many non-native speakers of English not making use of indefinite articles, presumably since their first language did not contain them. Thinking about this, and about the fact that even in English we get along fine without a plural indefinite article (only singular), I wonder why the indefinite article in theory is helpful. It seems to be an arbitrary particle, without the use of which we lose no meaning:

A tall man saw a black dog. --> Tall man saw black dog.

This sounds stilted; but if we switch gears to plural nouns, it sounds better without articles because English has no plural indefinite articles, only singular:

Tall men saw black dogs.

The presumption here is that we could understand the nouns in the above sentences as if they had invisible indefinite articles. Therefore, no article = indefinite article, as in many other languages, and as with English plural nouns. My basic question is this: What does the indefinite article accomplish? I'm not asking if we should stop using it - obviously it's here to stay for the time being, but is there something I'm missing that supports its existence? Was there a logical reason it came into being, or did it have a subconscious debut? (OK, I'm a language cynic, but deep down, so are you. ;)

Apparently the article an (a being a variant) derives from the OE ān meaning "one, in a weakened sense". Is there any further etymology of the indefinite article, or did its usage arise around 950 A.D.? Did English always have an indefinite article? I'm asking because I want to see intermediate usages if possible: usages of a while a was still being born.

Solution 1:

I would say that a/an allows us to specify the number of the noun referred to, and that is the main need for it to remain.

Wikipedia says that "some" can act as a plural indefinite article. Its function seems to be to limit the number somewhat, too. It at least implies that you don't want all apples in the second example below:

• Give me an apple
• Give me some apples
• Give me apples

Also, English has too many irregular forms to let you simply use the singular without an indefinite article. If you say "I like deer" are you saying "There is a deer I like", or "I like the animal called deer in general" or "I like deer meat" (yes, I know the correct word is venison).

So,

I like an apple says that there is one (otherwise unspecified, at least so far) apple that I like.

I like apple says I like the flavor of apples (no number).

I like some apples means there may be apples I don't like, but others that I like.

I like apples says that I will like pretty much any apple.

Solution 2:

Just in comparing your two example sentences, the latter to me carries an implication that there is a specific "tall man" and specific "black dog" being referred to, and I should know them both. With the "A" in front of them, they are transformed to generic versions that the speaker is in fact assuming I'm unfamiliar with.

So I disagree that no information would be lost by getting rid of the indefinite article. I rather like being able to make that disctinction.