> root has only two variants, each with a noun and verb form

I'm puzzled.

(1) So when is a variant a variant? If a word has four common forms/usages, why are there not four variants?

(2) Granted the Antipodean "root" (sexual intercourse for those that don't know) may fall into the category of slang - but what about the other three, viz:

- (noun) feeding mechanism and/or structural component of a plant

- (verb) to dig

- (verb) support a team or a cause. My dictionary says this comes from rout - which would make it different to the structural implications of the first example I've given.

????????????

stales