Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: $Revision: 1.6.2.13 $; site iuvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!houxm!ihnp4!inuxc!iuvax!brennan From: brennan@iuvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: The singular form of data Message-ID: <7100009@iuvax.UUCP> Date: Sat, 10-Nov-84 12:34:00 EST Article-I.D.: iuvax.7100009 Posted: Sat Nov 10 12:34:00 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 13-Nov-84 07:43:34 EST References: <550@rayssd.UUCP> Lines: 12 Nf-ID: #R:rayssd:-55000:iuvax:7100009:000:459 Nf-From: iuvax!brennan Nov 10 12:34:00 1984 To say, "my hair is ..." is not wrong at all!. In fact to say "my hair are ..." is technically wrong. (not sure what the word 'techincally' is supposed to mean here). "hair" is a collective noun that is conjugated in the singular form. I agree that 'datum' will probably die out, but in favor of 'piece of data' analogous to 'strand of hair'. JD Brennan ...!ihnp4!inuxc!iuvax!brennan (USENET) Brennan@Indiana (CSNET) Brennan.Indiana@CSnet-Relay (ARPA)