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