Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ptsfa.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!Glacier!well!ptsfa!rob From: rob@ptsfa.UUCP (Rob Bernardo) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: "Data points" Message-ID: <822@ptsfa.UUCP> Date: Wed, 21-Aug-85 12:42:42 EDT Article-I.D.: ptsfa.822 Posted: Wed Aug 21 12:42:42 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 18:08:02 EDT References: <214@tekig4.UUCP> <330@faron.UUCP> Reply-To: rob@ptsfa.UUCP (Rob Bernardo) Organization: Pacific Bell, San Francisco Lines: 29 In article <214@tekig4.UUCP> irenas@tekig4.UUCP (Irena Sifrar) writes: >Every time I hear somebody say "a data point", something >doesn't sound right. I think that "a datum point" would >in most cases be more correct. > In article <330@faron.UUCP> wdr@faron.UUCP (William D. Ricker) writes: >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]. However, in English, nouns can be used attributively (adjectivally). If we accept 'data' as a (syntactically) singular and (semantically) collective noun, the expression 'a data point' should be as acceptable as 'a cattle ranch.' -- +--------------+-------------------------------+ | Rob Bernardo | Pacific Bell | +--------------+ 2600 Camino Ramon, Room 4E700 | | 415-823-2417 | San Ramon, California 94583 | +--------------+-------------------------------+---------+ | ihnp4!ptsfa!rob | | {nsc,ucbvax,decwrl,amd,fortune,zehntel}!dual!ptsfa!rob | +--------------------------------------------------------+