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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 8/9/2017 10:50 AM, mayqel qunenoS
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAP7F2cK39De3XoRA_dbZwmRDLOVUA+Ueu7sXY7Lmr=4iaoyufA@mail.gmail.com">I
meant, is {Quv} inherently singular or plural ? The way that
{pIgh} "ruins" is inherently singular ? (if I remember correctly).</blockquote>
<p>The question is really, does <b>Quv</b> represent multiple
things packaged together in a single noun, or just one thing?</p>
<p>Imagine a map with a grid system on it. There is a point on the
map. You can read the grid system to identify the exact position
on the map. The reading you get is the <b>Quv.</b> Is that the
reading or the sum of separate readings? In English, it depends on
which word we use. If we call that <i>coordinates,</i> we're
saying it's the combination of an x-coordinate and a y-coordinate
(or whatever coordinate system you're using); it's plural because
we're talking about a measurement with multiple components. If we
call that <i>position,</i> we're saying it's the unique
representation on the map as measured with the grid system. That's
singular, because the components are not being described.</p>
<p>So we don't really know whether <b>Quv</b> is a collective noun
or not, but it's not really important. The only time its
collectiveness or not would be important is when someone wants to
explicitly add a <b>-mey</b> to the word, which is usually
optional anyway. I believe it is not a collective noun, because in
addition to making perfect sense as a singular concept, we're not
given a separate, singular form of it. There is no separate noun <i>coordinate.</i>
I think the confusion simply comes from the way English uses the
word. I think <b>Quvmey</b> refers to multiple points on a grid,
and they don't have to be scattered all about.<br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
SuStel
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://trimboli.name">http://trimboli.name</a></pre>
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