R0021/2026-03-25/Q008/H3¶
Statement¶
The gap is real but context often resolves natural language ambiguity in practice
Status¶
Current: Partially supported
Supporting Evidence¶
| Evidence | Summary |
|---|---|
| SRC01-E01 | "Set" has 430 definitions in OED2; "run" now has 645 senses in OED3 |
| SRC02-E01 | Polysemy is pervasive; most content words are polysemous; more frequent words more polysemous |
Contradicting Evidence¶
No direct contradictory evidence for H3.
Reasoning¶
A single English word ("set") having 430+ definitions demonstrates the scale of natural language ambiguity. Formal specification languages eliminate this by construction — each term has exactly one meaning within its formal context. The gap is not just real but quantifiable: 430:1 for a common word.
Relationship to Other Hypotheses¶
H1 is supported by the scale of polysemy. H3 adds nuance (context helps humans). H2 is eliminated by the quantitative evidence.