Love of a person is rooted in deep feelings of emotion and intimacy. Love of ice cream is rooted in a biological desire for food. Thus "love" has multiple meanings, and linguists say that the word is polysemic. The meaning of love changes depending upon the referent (person or thing it expresses feelings toward), or the context it is used in.

If I say I love Paula, what does that tell you? Not much. You need to know who Paula is to grasp the intensity of my emotional attachment to her.