I believe that wa'DIch can be used as a noun. However, I'm not sure it means what you think it means in maghwI' ghaH Haw'bogh wa'DIch'e'. I think it means more like "The first is a traitor, and also flees.", ie. that it's not talking about the first to flee, just about a first, and that first flees.

Iikka "fergusq" Hauhio

------- Original Message -------
On Friday, April 29th, 2022 at 16.10, SuStel <sustel@trimboli.name> wrote:

On 4/29/2022 8:03 AM, D qunen'oS wrote:
Suppose I write:

maghwI' ghaH Haw'bogh wa'DIch'e'
the first who flees is a traitor

Would it be correct?

Here is the evidence in favor:

1. TKD flat out tells us "Numbers are used as nouns." Ordinals are numbers. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to suppose that ordinals can be used as nouns.

2. The word cha'DIch is used as a noun to refer to one's "second" during legal proceedings when the accused is not allowed personal combat.

3. paq'batlh uses cha'DIch as well as the other ordinals from wa'DIch through vaghDIch as adverbials, so it is canonically known that the ordinals can act in ways other than just modifying nouns.

Given these, I have no qualms about using wa'DIch or any ordinal as a noun the way you have.

--
SuStel
http://trimboli.name