.. because one word may have 50+ different meanings because all the words with a single or limited number of precise meanings have disappeared.On closer inspection, I wonder if it is possible to count the number of meanings of an
isolated word! A word only acquires its full and unique meaning
in context. Even a single complete sentence is a somewhat lossy vehicle for conveying a given message. Words that are used most frequently (like
hold, stand, right..)tend to have the widest range of meanings!
And if we limit ourselves to words with
fewer meanings, those will also have
less meaning or, if any, then to
fewer people
.
By the way I wonder where you acquired the conviction that "English has more words than any other language"? In my opinion, what makes English an "advanced" languange is its ability to express a wide range of meanings by combining a relatively small number of words.
