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You're wrong. Nah, you're perfectly right in general. You've just
forgotten that following 'ar the plural marker is not optional: it's
proscribed.<br><br>
At 10:05 '?????' 1/29/2013, Lawrence M. Schoen wrote:<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">
<dl>
<dd>De'vID:<br>
<dd>> {'ar} is both "How many?" and "How much?" In
most cases one of the two<br>
<dd>> will apply, and the question is unambiguous. However, in some
cases<br>
<dd>> there seems to be some ambiguity.<br><br>
</dl><br>
 I suspect part of the problem comes from some misconceptions regarding
the "optional" marking of plurals.<br><br>
From a pragmatic and semantic perspective, details of all sorts are
considered optional is their inclusion is not significant.<br><br>
Thus, if you present me with two items and tell me "choose a
weapon," how much information I include in my response will be
dictated by the needs of<br>
the situation.<br><br>
If I just say "that one" and I offer no other indication (not
even a pointing gesture), then my communication has failed.<br><br>
Similarly, if both objects are daggers, simply saying "I choose the
dagger" doesn't help either.<br><br>
If one dagger is sharp and the other dull, I don't need to use the word
"dagger" at all, and can just say "I choose the sharp
one."<br><br>
I would argue it's a similar situation with the optional plural marker.
Yes, in most cases you don't need it. But if its inclusion disambiguates
an utterance<br>
then from both a pragmatic and semantic point of view it's hardly
optional any more.<br><br>
Okay, that's all I have to say here. Now several of you can jump in and
tell me that I'm wrong. :)<br><br>
Lawrence<br>
-- <br>
author / publisher / psychologist / klingonist<br>
<a href="http://www.lawrencemschoen.com">
http://www.lawrencemschoen.com</a> <br>
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