Divehi to Khmer: a noun-class suffix is not the same as a counting word
Both languages distinguish kinds of entities in different places
Gnanadesikan describes different Divehi plural patterns for human nouns, nonhuman nouns and boats, with another associative pattern for names and kinship terms. Her kudi-n̊ means children, while nā-faharu means sailing ships. Those endings help construct a plural reference within the source noun.
The Northern Illinois University Khmer lesson instead illustrates counting expressions arranged as noun, number and a following specifier. Its នាក់ is used for people and ក្បាល for animals in the examples. A target counting word therefore should not be selected as though it were simply a relocated version of whichever Divehi plural suffix occurred.
A number and its unit make a complete quantity
The Khmer lesson uses different specifiers for people, animals, long objects and other kinds of items. It also illustrates measurements and grouped units. The count must therefore be read together with what the target expression counts, rather than evaluated from the numeral alone.
A Divehi request involving people and boats can contain two plural noun patterns without using the same kind of grammatical classification as Khmer. Preserve the intended entities and amounts first. The source suffix tells us something about its own noun morphology; it does not independently establish the target counting unit or supply a classifier by sound resemblance.
The numeral’s position changes
Gnanadesikan places Divehi numeric modifiers before their noun, generally closest to it within a larger phrase. Short modifiers are often written without a space. The Khmer lesson’s noun–number–specifier arrangement differs both in order and in how the quantity is completed. A translation cannot preserve that structure by moving the source suffix while leaving all other pieces in place.
For a source list giving a quantity of long objects or individual fruits, identify each numeral’s noun before rearranging the phrase. A descriptive word or a compact source spelling must not cause the amount to attach to the next item in the list. In Khmer, the following specifier should identify the unit intended for that noun and count.
Plurality and grouping remain separate questions
The Divehi grammar’s associative plural with a personal name can mean the named person and companions. It does not necessarily mean several people sharing that name. This is another reason to establish the source group before choosing a Khmer numerical phrase: the source may identify a group without stating its exact size.
Do not invent an exact target headcount merely because a counting construction is available. Conversely, when the source does specify an amount, preserve whether it concerns individual entities, bundles or a measured quantity. The Khmer lesson notes spoken omission of specifiers, but that does not make every counting word dispensable in every context. Across this direction, identify the source noun’s referents, its actual number and any grouping meaning; then construct the Khmer quantity with the appropriate order and unit. The source observations concern northern and standard Malé Divehi, and the target discussion follows the cited lesson’s demonstrated counting patterns.
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