The
[_Yomiuri_](https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/local/shiga/feature/CO055052/20220102-OYTAT50233/)
had this sentence recently:

> こんだけ土【つち】のついた野菜【やさい】触【さわ】ったん、初【はじ】めてですわ  
>  _I've never touched a vegetable with so much dirt on it before._

I have been told that ん can be an abbreviation of の, making the whole
preceding part function like an extended noun phrase subject. If so, would a
more grammatically analogous (though less natural-sounding) sentence be...

> _This is my first touching of a vegetable with so much dirt on it_

I have seen the ん hanging on to the ends of phrases such as the one above and
was wondering whether I am understanding its function correctly.
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2022-02-25T19:19:55.620
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question
grammar particle-の abbreviations
Is ん an abbreviation of の here?