Are there too many words?

[Gromit]

The English Language is about to get its 1,000.000th word.

The average person uses less than 14,000 words. That leaves a lot of redundant words.

French and German have about a 10th of what we have.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews /5493366/One-millionth-English-word-to-be-unve iled.html

Should we have a purge and ban anymore stupid words like 'noob' or 'chiconomics'?

[ojread2]

what the heck is chiconomics??

I suppose we will always have new words comeing in but maybe those thast are ridiculous such as noob lol, should not be inc in the dictionary?

[craft1948]

We do seem to have an abundance but think we should keep them all. I would hate to deprive the people who delight in using obscure words to type down to others...

[noway2]

was'nt Doh added to the O E Dictionary not so long ago.I use that word all the time.Doh

[SpodoCommodo]

Apparently the millionth word is "Web 2.0" - how does this qualify as A word???

[Julnar]

The only problem with having so many words is it is now possible for a person of my age (51) to have a conversation with an English teenager and never understand a word each other is saying- innit!

[craft1948]

doh........the latest I can't get out of my head is.........simples

[Ric.ror]

There are in Will Self's books

[noway2]

yeah craft where did that come from simples?first time i seen it was on a post here.What next easys.Doh

[Gromit]

Simples - Comaparethemarket.com TV advertisement.

The power of advertising,

[whiskeryron]

I feel that we already have too many words,to be honest I think that our English language should be simplified & words like Bough, Rough etc should be eliminated, also have a look at Beauchamp(pronounced Beecham) & Chalmondely(chumley) & how in heavens name can Belvoir be pronounced as Beaver?

[R1Geezer]

Well it's the worlds language it's entitled to a lot of words. Most of them are there because they never take a word out, that's all. Another anti British rant Gromit well done, why don't you fcuk to France you'd like it there.

[Gromit]

R1Geezer

You have lost the plot yet again.

You have already said that English is the world's language. How can this in any way be construed as anti British?

[Quizmonster]

I don't understand some of the ideas presented here. We should all positively revel in the wonderful abundance of our glorious language rather than fault it!
And as for spelling simplification...absurd! Doing any such thing would lose the whole history, background and etymology of many words. For example, spelling a sailing-boat as yot rather than yacht would break all connection with its source in the Dutch word, jacht. Complete dumbing-down!
Leave it alone and welcome every new word that comes along; you don't have to use the ones you don't like.

[R1Geezer]

QM, I'm with you mate, It's only Gromit with his general hatred of English, Engalnd etc that started this off.

[Gromit]

Quizmonster

i totally agree. I was playing devil's advocate with the question.

For a start it would be impossible to ban any words, and for a strong and vibrant living language, the more words the better.

Rather that than try to impose the protectionism on the language like the French. I even rather like the stupid words like noob as well.

R1Geezer

You must be a slow learner. The English language no longer belongs to the English or England.

[R1Geezer]

I knew you wouldn't let me down, anything to try and belittle England.

[Gromit]

Do you have a persecution complex R1Geezer?

There is no slight on England, the English or Britain anywhere in this thread.

I suggest you go and take some more medicine and go for a lie down, you have clearly lost the plot today.

[ludwig]

Dr. Samuel Johnson: [places two manuscripts on the table, but picks up the top one] Here it is, sir. The very cornerstone of English scholarship. This book, sir, contains every word in our beloved language.

Blackadder: Every single one, sir?

Dr. Samuel Johnson: Every single word, sir!

Blackadder: Oh, well, in that case, sir, I hope you will not object if I also offer the Doctor my most enthusiastic contrafribularities.

Dr. Samuel Johnson: What?

Blackadder: "Contrafribularites", sir? It is a common word down our way.

Dr. Samuel Johnson: Damn! [writes in the book]

Blackadder: Oh, I'm sorry, sir. I'm anispeptic, frasmotic, even compunctuous to have caused you such pericombobulation.