  The current distribution of language size in terms of speaker population is
generally described using a lognormal distribution. Analyzing the original real
data we show how the double-Pareto lognormal distribution can give an
alternative fit that indicates the existence of a power law tail. A simple
Monte Carlo model is constructed based on the processes of competition and
fragmentation. The results reproduce the power law tails of the real
distribution well and give better results for a poorly connected topology of
interactions.
