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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
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