-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On 2014-05-20 12:16, Filip wrote:
> On Tue, 20 May 2014 17:03:16 +0100 Lisi Reisz > <lisi.re...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> (Sorry, Ken. re-sending 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, grammatically 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." The Oxford English Dictionary however agrees with me. Regards, Ken -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (GNU/Linux) iEYEARECAAYFAlN7o54ACgkQlNlJzOkJmTe+BACZAXGtDKucUfgEm+xRAZM5O2Xn KtsAni6A7sQ25YzW7gS7xxQidTXJHW68 =+Iwn -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- 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/537ba39e.8060...@teksavvy.com