Is French a more economical language than English?

Answer 1

In terms of the number of letters and words typically used to express an idea, English is more economical.

English often shortens phrases by using a noun to modify another noun, as in "ham sandwich." In French the main noun (sandwich) would come first, followed by "de jambon," equivalent to "of ham."

Many words that are cognate between the two languages may be spelled with more letters in French. For example, "blue" always has four letters in English. French "bleu" has four letters basically, but will have a "e" added if the noun it modifies is feminine, and/or an "s" if the noun is plural.

American English uses even fewer letters than British, as in "program"--in place of "programme" in both French and British English.