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Q: Comparison - Number of words in major world languages? ( Answered 4 out of 5 stars,   3 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Comparison - Number of words in major world languages?
Category: Reference, Education and News > General Reference
Asked by: ocidental-ga
List Price: $2.00
Posted: 10 Dec 2002 19:26 PST
Expires: 09 Jan 2003 19:26 PST
Question ID: 122793
I'm looking for a reliable source that can compare the number of words
in the major world languages. I've heard English has between 1/4
million and 1 million words, depending on what you define as a word.
However, according to a friend of mine from Spain, Spanish has 270
million words. It seems incomprehensible to have so many words.

[Maybe it's because I find it so hard to think of any language being
superior to English.]
Answer  
Subject: Re: Comparison - Number of words in major world languages?
Answered By: tlspiegel-ga on 11 Dec 2002 10:05 PST
Rated:4 out of 5 stars
 
Hi ocicental,

One of my favorite subjects!  

"All living language seem to have the ability to express what needs
expressing; where a word doesn't exist, speakers find a way to come up
with one — whether by coining one, adapting an older word to a new
use, or importing one from another language. That's no less true of
Spanish than of English, so Spanish's smaller vocabulary shouldn't be
seen as a sign of inferiority."

From the site titled: Size of Spanish Vocabulary - Learn Spanish
Language
http://spanish.about.com/library/questions/aa-q-size_of_language.htm 

Google search terms used: "compare English language number words to
Spanish"

Regards,
tlspiegel
Google Answers Researcher
ocidental-ga rated this answer:4 out of 5 stars

Comments  
Subject: Re: Comparison - Number of words in major world languages?
From: robertskelton-ga on 10 Dec 2002 19:55 PST
 
You might find this interesting:

The Number of Words in the English Language
http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/wordman005.html
Subject: Re: Comparison - Number of words in major world languages?
From: tlspiegel-ga on 10 Dec 2002 21:02 PST
 
Hi ocidental,

And, on the other side of the coin... I found this link!

Size of Spanish Vocabulary - Learn Spanish Language
http://spanish.about.com/library/questions/aa-q-size_of_language.htm

tlspiegel
Google Answers Researcher
Subject: Re: Comparison - Number of words in major world languages?
From: ocidental-ga on 11 Dec 2002 00:06 PST
 
Robert: I actually came across that link in my own searches, but
thanks anyway :)

TLSpiegel: that's almost what I was looking for. I was tyring to
refute the fact that "Spanish has more words than English", and that
web site does just that. I consider that the answer, so feel free to
post it as such.

Thanks!

Ocidental.

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