[uxcn]

And C compilers can generate specializations if everything is in the same translation unit. What I was trying to point out is that less abstract doesn't imply better performance. It isn't C > C++ > Python. What the machine ultimately has to do is what matters.

[cactusface]

I think programs written in dynamic languages are generally harder to optimize because they're more likely to take advantage of complex features. Since these languages often compile to C, you can obviously write the same program in C, but you aren't as likely to.