I am not aware of any studies comparing the number of words an average person could expect to hear spoken in a typical day 500 years ago vs. the number that can be heard now, but the increase surely is vast.
( ( ( ( ( I ( ( am not ) ( aware ( of ( ( any studies ) ( comparing ( ( the number ) ( of ( words ( ( an ( average person ) ) ( could ( expect ( to ( hear ( spoken ( in ( ( a ( typical day ) ) ( ( ( 500 years ) ago ) ( vs. ( ( the number ) ( that ( can ( be ( heard now ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) , ) but ) ( ( the increase ) ( surely ( is vast ) ) ) ) . )
(ROOT (S (S (NP (PRP I)) (VP (VBP am) (RB not) (ADJP (JJ aware) (PP (IN of) (NP (NP (DT any) (NNS studies)) (VP (VBG comparing) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN number)) (PP (IN of) (NP (NP (NNS words)) (SBAR (S (NP (DT an) (JJ average) (NN person)) (VP (MD could) (VP (VB expect) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB hear) (VP (VBN spoken) (PP (IN in) (NP (NP (DT a) (JJ typical) (NN day)) (PP (ADVP (NP (CD 500) (NNS years)) (RB ago)) (IN vs.) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN number)) (SBAR (WHNP (WDT that)) (S (VP (MD can) (VP (VB be) (VP (VBN heard) (ADVP (RB now)))))))))))))))))))))))))))) (, ,) (CC but) (S (NP (DT the) (NN increase)) (ADVP (RB surely)) (VP (VBZ is) (ADJP (JJ vast)))) (. .)))
It makes me upset that I've yet to see any study done on how many words the average person hears throughout the day.
( It ( ( ( makes ( me upset ) ) ( that ( I ( ( 've yet ) ( to ( see ( ( any study ) ( done ( on ( ( ( how many ) words ) ( ( the ( average person ) ) ( hears ( throughout ( the day ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (PRP It)) (VP (VBZ makes) (S (NP (PRP me)) (ADJP (JJ upset))) (SBAR (IN that) (S (NP (PRP I)) (VP (VBP 've) (ADVP (RB yet)) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB see) (NP (NP (DT any) (NN study)) (VP (VBN done) (PP (IN on) (SBAR (WHNP (WHADJP (WRB how) (JJ many)) (NNS words)) (S (NP (DT the) (JJ average) (NN person)) (VP (VBZ hears) (PP (IN throughout) (NP (DT the) (NN day)))))))))))))))) (. .)))