On Tue, 20 May 2014 17:03:16 +0100 Lisi Reisz <lisi.re...@gmail.com> wrote:
> (Sorry, Ken. resending correctly to list.) > > On Tuesday 20 May 2014 16:00:42 Ken Heard wrote: > > Please note everybody that the word "data" is plural. The beginning > > of the last line quoted above should consequently read "all the > > scientific data *are* backed up." Other posts in this thread make > > the same error. The singular of data is datum. > > This is of course, gramatically correct. But I would argue that, > although in formal writing it should certainly be treated as a > plural, in colloquial speech it no longer is. I would also argue > that emails are colloquial speech not formal writing. > > This does not apply in the same way to all of your "group". Where it > is needful to have both a singular and a plural, as in > bacterium/bacteria and criterion/criteria it would be perverse to > make a plural by putting an s on the plural! (Though some people do.) > > Language changes, whether one wishes it or not. We no longer speak > the English of Shakespeare or the King James' Bible. I still > sometimes catch myself using the present subjunctive in speech. I do > not think that I am correct to do so. For this usage it is dead. > Indeed, for all intents and purposes, the imperfect subjunctive is > dead. > > Lisi > > The dictionary agrees with you. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/data "Both constructions are standard. The plural construction is more common in print, evidently because the house style of several publishers mandates it." -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: https://lists.debian.org/20140520181615.20724...@orac.fil