Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site ho95e.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!ho95e!ran
From: ran@ho95e.UUCP (RANeinast)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Re: "Data points"
Message-ID: <178@ho95e.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 22-Aug-85 08:26:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: ho95e.178
Posted: Thu Aug 22 08:26:34 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 15:52:36 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 21

>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].
>indicating that 50% 
>
>  William Ricker

Right.
Thus it is not "house paint", but "paint for houses".
Thus it is not "telephone book", but "book for telephones".
Thus this whole discussion is not "horse shit", but "shit from horses".
-- 

". . . and shun the frumious Bandersnatch."
Robert Neinast (ihnp4!ho95b!ran)
AT&T-Bell Labs