sth@rayssd.UUCP (11/02/84)
Why do people insist on using "datum" even though it sounds terrible? I
know what the dictionaries and William Safire say, it's just that it doesn't
"feel" right. We don't have a plural form of hair, and nobody wants to
invent a latinized form, yet to say "My hair is ..." is technically wrong.
Thanx, I was just venting a pet peeve....
Steve Hirsch, {allegra, decvax!brunix, ccieng5}!rayssd!sth
Raytheon Co, Submarine Signal Div., Portsmouth, RImauney@ncsu.UUCP (Jon Mauney) (11/06/84)
> Why do people insist on using "datum" even though it sounds terrible? I > know what the dictionaries and William Safire say, it's just that it doesn't > "feel" right. We don't have a plural form of hair, and nobody wants to > invent a latinized form, yet to say "My hair is ..." is technically wrong. There are singular and plurals, and then there are collectives. I doubt you would say "What a dirty restaurant -- I found three hair in my soup." As far as I'm concerned, using 'data' to refer to a single fact sounds terrible. A datum is a single piece of data and data is a collection of datums. There is a useful distinction to be made between "That datum is inaccurate" and "that data is inaccurate". To say "Those data are inaccurate" is also ok, but we Americans tend to consider collectives as singular. -- _Doctor_ Jon Mauney, mcnc!ncsu!mauney \__Mu__/ North Carolina State University
nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) (11/06/84)
[]
Well, I guess I use "datum" because it *does* feel right. I also use
"medium" as the singular of "media" and "epididymis" as the singular of
"epididymides."
By the way, what do you use for the singular of "opera?"a
--
Ed Nather
{allegra,ihnp4}!{ut-sally,noao}!utastro!nather
Astronomy Dept., U. of Texas, Austintom@uwai.UUCP (11/06/84)
> Why do people insist on using "datum" even though it sounds terrible? I > know what the dictionaries and William Safire say, it's just that it doesn't > "feel" right. We don't have a plural form of hair, and nobody wants to > invent a latinized form, yet to say "My hair is ..." is technically wrong. The given analogy is very weak: people didn't just make up 'datum' in order to latinize a pre-existing from. Hair isn't Latin and doesn't deserve a Latin plural. In any event, datum at this university seems to be a word limited to those who did not learn American as their first tongue. Yes, that's right: our Australians *do* use datum, as do our Indians (< India). Does it sound terrible? Watch: This datum is erroneous. /* tried and true */ This data is erroneous. /* referring to one point???? */ These data are erroneous. /* the whole set */ This data-point is erroneous. /* kludgey */ Number two does not convey in a sufficiently clear manner the idea of that we're talking about just one spurious point of information. While admitedly biased in favour of the old school, I would opt for the first solution. What does the rest of netland say about this and about Latin forms in general? -- Tom Christiansen University of Wisconsin Computer Science Systems Lab ...!{allegra,heurikon,ihnp4,seismo,uwm-evax}!uwvax!tom tom@wisc-crys.arpa
gam@amdahl.UUCP (Gordon A. Moffett) (11/09/84)
> By the way, what do you use for the singular of "opera?"a
So, you see, this ``datum/data'' question only leads to smart-ass
language like:
``While in New York I visited the Guggenheim and Natural
History musea.''
``The Oakland Coliseum Complex actually consists of two colisea.''
As for ``datum'', this will probably die out after a time, as
we are hearing more of ``data'' used in the singular. And I think
that's a good idea.
--
Gordon A. Moffett ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,nsc}!amdahl!gam
[ This is just me talking. ]brennan@iuvax.UUCP (11/10/84)
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)
robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) (11/13/84)
>So, you see, this ``datum/data'' question only leads to smart-ass >language like: > > ``While in New York I visited the Guggenheim and Natural > History musea.'' > > ``The Oakland Coliseum Complex actually consists of two colisea.'' It's too early to tell if the question might lead to such usage. We need more datums on the subject. - Toby Robison (not Robinson!) allegra!eosp1!robison or: decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison or (emergency): princeton!eosp1!robison
nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) (11/14/84)
[] >> By the way, what do you use for the singular of "opera?" > >So, you see, this ``datum/data'' question only leads to smart-ass >language like: > > ``While in New York I visited the Guggenheim and Natural > History musea.'' > > ``The Oakland Coliseum Complex actually consists of two colisea.'' > >As for ``datum'', this will probably die out after a time, as >we are hearing more of ``data'' used in the singular. And I think >that's a good idea. Well, it may be easier on the novice not to have to remember what language a word came from, so s/he'll [ugh] know what the plural should be, but it will strip the language of much of its flavor. And if you can't have fun with a language, what good is it? The singular of "opera" is "opus" -- as any reader of "Bloom County" would know. Today's question: what is the singular of "broccoli?" Ed Nather {allegra,ihnp4}!{ut-sally,noao}!utastro!nather Astronomy Dept., U. of Texas, Austin -- Ed Nather {allegra,ihnp4}!{ut-sally,noao}!utastro!nather Astronomy Dept., U. of Texas, Austin
rjw@ptsfc.UUCP (Rod Williams) (11/20/84)
>Today's question: what is the singular of "broccoli?"
The vegetable, broccoli, was developed early in this century by an
Italian gentleman named Broccoli - a relative, BTW, of film producer
Cubby Broccoli, of 007 fame.
Don't you just LOVE trivia?
--
Rod Williams
dual!ptsfa!ptsfc!rjw
"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so"