牛津词典告诉你 英语里一共有多少单词
<p><span word="There">There</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="single">single</span> <span word="sensible">sensible</span> <span word="answer">answer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="question">question</span>. <span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="impossible">impossible</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="count">count</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="language">language</span>, <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="decide">decide</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="counts">counts</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="word">word</span>. <span word="Is">Is</span> <span word="dog">dog</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="word">word</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="two">two</span> (<span word="a">a</span> <span word="noun">noun</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> '<span word="a">a</span> <span word="kind">kind</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="animal">animal</span>', <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="verb">verb</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> '<span word="to">to</span> <span word="follow">follow</span> <span word="persistently">persistently</span>')? <span word="If">If</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="count">count</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="two">two</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="count">count</span> <span word="inflections">inflections</span> <span word="separately">separately</span> <span word="too">too</span> (<span word="e">e</span>.<span word="g">g</span>. <span word="dogs">dogs</span> = <span word="plural">plural</span> <span word="noun">noun</span>, <span word="dogs">dogs</span> = <span word="present">present</span> <span word="tense">tense</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="verb">verb</span>). <span word="Is">Is</span> <span word="dog">dog</span>-<span word="tired">tired</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="word">word</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="joined">joined</span> <span word="together">together</span>? <span word="Is">Is</span> <span word="hot">hot</span> <span word="dog">dog</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="since">since</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="written">written</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="hot">hot</span>-<span word="dog">dog</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="hotdog">hotdog</span>?</p><p>这个问题并没有一个简单而合理的答案。想要计算一种语言里有多少单词是不可能做到的，因为很难定义究竟什么才是一个单词。<span word="Dog">Dog</span>究竟算一个单词还是两个（名词指一种动物，动词指长期跟随）？如果算作两个，那么我们是否也要把它的变型也单独计算（例如：复数名词<span word="dogs">dogs</span>，第三人称单数现在时<span word="dogs">dogs</span>）？<span word="Dog">Dog</span>-<span word="tired">tired</span>（筋疲力尽）算一个单词还是两个连在一起的单词？既然<span word="Hot">Hot</span> <span word="dog">dog</span>（热狗）可以被写成<span word="hot">hot</span>-<span word="dog">dog</span>甚至<span word="hotdog">hotdog</span>，它真的算两个单词吗？</p><p><span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="decide">decide</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="counts">counts</span> <span word="as">as</span> '<span word="English">English</span>'. <span word="What">What</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="medical">medical</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="scientific">scientific</span> <span word="terms">terms</span>? <span word="Latin">Latin</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="law">law</span>, <span word="French">French</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="cooking">cooking</span>, <span word="German">German</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="academic">academic</span> <span word="writing">writing</span>, <span word="Japanese">Japanese</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="martial">martial</span> <span word="arts">arts</span>? <span word="Do">Do</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="count">count</span> <span word="Scots">Scots</span> <span word="dialect">dialect</span>? <span word="Teenage">Teenage</span> <span word="slang">slang</span>? <span word="Abbreviations">Abbreviations</span>?</p><p>同样，很难定义什么才算英语。医学和科学名词怎么办？法律中使用的拉丁词汇、烹饪中使用的法语词汇、学术写作中使用的德语词汇和武术中使用的日语词汇怎么办？苏格兰方言算不算？青少年的俚语呢？缩写呢？</p>
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