Most frequently used words

[James Smith]

Somewhere, perhaps on this list, I read or heard that
the international version of the BBC tv news was
constrained to use a vocabulary of only 850 different
English words (no doubt excluding proper nouns from
the count).

First question then, is this true?

Second, if, true, where can a copy of this word list
be found?

I believe it was in the Sunday newspaper supplement
"Parade" (I'd hate to just say "somewhere" again)
where I read, several years ago, that most languages
could be spoken adequately, not necessarily fluently,
with a vocabulary of only 500 words.

Any reliable research that can support (or refute)
such a statement?



=====
James D. SMITH                 |If history teaches anything
SLC, UT                        |it is that we will be sued
jsmithjamessmith at yahoo.com     |whether we act quickly and decisively
                               |or slowly and cautiously.

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