What makes this not a question "How many history?"?

I know the question "How many history" cant be answered and cant even be classed as a question but what is it that stops it from being a question?



(strange i know but a joker in my class (a science student, me being an arts student) thinks art students are a little 'slow' and jokingly challenged me to answer any question he could think of. This was the 'golden nugget' he comes up with! that and "Why is love?")What makes this not a question "How many history?"?
History is an uncountable noun. You cannot use 'many' with an uncountable noun you have to use the quantifier much.



An uncountable noun is something that cant be counted eg.

Hair

Money

Time





So you have to ask How much hair? How much money? How much time? And you cant ask How many hair? How many money?

It just doesnt work that way. Thats the grammar rule and thats why it is not a question.



Why is love...not sure hmmm maybe something similar although why is love...****? Is a valid question :P
I think it is missing a noun or just a word after history. That is why it isn't a question.What makes this not a question "How many history?"?
It should be "How much of history..."



How of history has been devoted to the study of medicine?
There's no verb in it, that's why it doesn't make sense as a question
The reason why this is not a question is that it is not a sentence!



You could make this type of question up with almost anything



eg Do you tree?

Why are sky?

Can you sun?

How do road etc etc



Not sure of the exact description of how it is wrong but as you can see from examples they are not full sentences missing verbs and things.

The answer to your science students friend is of course 64!
It is an incomplete thought and therefore is a fragment.