Take this scenario:

• A programmer creates a language to solve some problem.

• He then releases this language to help others solve problems like it.

• Another programmer discovers it's actually much better for some different category of problems.

• By virtue of this new application, the language then becomes popular for that application primarily.

Are there any instances of this actually occurring?

Put another way, does the intended purpose of a language have any bearing on how it's actually used, or whether it becomes popular? Is it even important that a language have an advertised purpose?