Re: Manifesto Project Database

Posted by Steve Smith on Dec 13, 2013; 10:06pm
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Manifesto-Project-Database-tp7584514p7584520.html

I prefer this description of the proper use of Data v Datum:

The concept of a mass (or aggregate?) noun is more important than the distinction of a plural vs singular noun.   It is more common to need to talk about a mass or aggregate of datums as data than many distinct datums (data) as data. 

Grammatically it would seem to be evidenced in usage like "Data were" vs "Data was"... it doesn't seem all that hard to me... am I missing something?

- Steve

Data


ORIGIN mid 17th cent. (as a term in philosophy): from Latin, plural of DATUM.

USAGE: In Latin, data is the plural of datum and, historically and in specialized scientific fields, it is also treated as a plural in English, taking a plural verb, as in the data were collected and classified. In modern non-scientific use, however, despite the complaints of traditionalists, it is often not treated as a plural. Instead, it is treated as a mass noun, similar to a word like information, which cannot normally have a plural and which takes a singular verb. Sentences such as data was (as well as data were) collected over a number of years are now widely accepted in standard English.

On 12/13/2013 01:37 PM, Arlo Barnes wrote:

As for pluralizing datum, most scientists can overlook common variations as
long as you do not say "datas".

Ha!  I don't think I'll have that problem.  I did learn a new one, the
other day:

   http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/datan

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