[tlhIngan Hol] Using {'ar} without a noun

[Lieven L. Litaer]

Am 22.08.2018 um 15:57 schrieb SuStel:
> I would point out that only *'Iv* and *nuq* (and, by extension of 
> suffix, *nuqDaq*) act like pronouns, substituting for the answer. 

Who says "only"?

This is again a situation where Okrand does not say "this is how it 
works", but he does not say the opposite. Just because he did no mention 
that {'ar} works like {nuq} does not mean that it does not.

This is just my opinion, but I think that {'ar Dalegh} is absolutely 
correct. It even follows the rule if you think of a "zero"-noun:
{[Doch] 'ar Dalegh}. "how many [things] do you see?"

And the answer to {'ar Dalegh} is e.g. {vagh vIlegh}.

Why not?

> *does not substitute itself for a number. This is clear not only because 
> *'ar* comes after the noun, not before, and constrains its use of a 
> plural suffix, but because *'ar* can be used on mass nouns where numbers 
> cannot. You can ask *nIn 'ar wIghaj*/How much fuel do we have?/ but you 
> cannot say *vagh nIn wIghaj */We have five fuels./

Don't forget it can be used on mass nouns, but also on countable things.

You an ask {nughoS SuvwI' 'ar} and the answer is {nughoS vagh SuvwI'}. 
So that's turned around then.

By the way, in English, the problem is the same: You can ask "How much 
fuel do we have?" but you cannot say "We have five fuels" either.

-- 
Lieven L. Litaer
aka the "Klingon Teacher from Germany"
http://www.klingonisch.de
http://www.klingonwiki.net/En/Questions