Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site im4u.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!ut-sally!im4u!riddle From: riddle@im4u.UUCP Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: "X is a noun, not an adjective" (Re: "Data points") Message-ID: <445@im4u.UUCP> Date: Wed, 21-Aug-85 16:53:48 EDT Article-I.D.: im4u.445 Posted: Wed Aug 21 16:53:48 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 23:59:07 EDT References: <214@tekig4.UUCP> <330@faron.UUCP> Reply-To: riddle@im4u.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle) Organization: U. of Tx. at Houston-in-the-Hills Lines: 22 Really-A-Verb: "Bob" >> Data (n.pl.) and Datum (n.) are nouns, not adjectives. >> The American Heritage Dictionary has a usage note under Data (n.pl.) >> indicating that 50% of the usage panel accepts treating 'data' as a >> singular, apparently as a collective noun (as in a gaggle of geese, >> or a pride of lions). >> >> Data and datum are not adjectives. Thus, it is either "a point of data," >> or "a datum," not "a data point" [sic]. Let's see... to use your logic, since "heritage" is a noun and not an adjective, the "American Heritage Dictionary" [sic] should be the "American Dictionary of Heritage" or the "Dictionary of American Heritage." :-) In fact, one of the interesting features of the English language is that (almost?) any noun can serve as an adjective. Just to grab a few examples out of my hat, there's "cat food," "network news," "oil crisis," and "sex maniac" [NOT "sexy maniac," which would mean something entirely different! :-)]. --- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.") --- {ihnp4,harvard,seismo,gatech}!ut-sally!riddle riddle@ut-sally.UUCP --- riddle@ut-sally.ARPA, riddle%zotz@ut-sally, riddle%im4u@ut-sally