Hi I plugged data and datum into google's ngram word counter. Should appear here if link works
http://ngrams.googlelabs.com/graph?content=data%2C+datum&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=0&smoothing=3 Datum is virtually absent from 1800 to 2000, whereas data becomes increasingly frequent. So either no one is talking about single bits of datum or they are using data in that role. Another link I came across (there are many in english usage and common error sites), perhaps illustrated why data as singular is preferred in at least some contexts. Consider the following two sentences: The data were victims of misinterpretation. The data was a victim of misinterpretation. Second sounds more natural to me. In other cases, seems more like a coin toss? The data was consistent with our prediction. The data were consistent with our prediction. But if we use result / results, the plural appears to sound better. The result was consistent with our prediction. The results were consistent with our prediction. But I found the following strange. The results were victims of misinterpretation. Take care Jim James M. Clark Professor of Psychology 204-786-9757 204-774-4134 Fax j.cl...@uwinnipeg.ca >>> Claudia Stanny <csta...@uwf.edu> 13-Mar-11 4:02:59 PM >>> I think Rick has hit on an important clue to this controversy. I've been thinking about this since the last go-round about whether *data *should be treated as plural or singular. What "sounds right" will be whatever is consistent with the implicit grammatical rule the listener applies. I also suspect that in this case, two different definitions of *data* might be in operation. I always think of this word in terms of numbers, findings, statistics, etc. So *data* always requires a plural verb for me. When I talk about a *data set*, I use the singular, since the noun in question is * set* and the word *data* is now a modifier. Sometimes speakers prune out extra language (like the word *set*) but retain the grammatical construction that goes with the full language. So I can understand why "the data [set] is" sounds perfectly fine to some. It all depends on the mental model the speaker (and listener) uses for the word. Claudia Stanny --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: j.cl...@uwinnipeg.ca. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13251.645f86b5cec4da0a56ffea7a891720c9&n=T&l=tips&o=9350 or send a blank email to leave-9350-13251.645f86b5cec4da0a56ffea7a89172...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: arch...@jab.org. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=9352 or send a blank email to leave-9352-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
