Posted by Eugene Volokh: Data as Singular: A correspondent faulted me for using "data" with a singular verb, as "the data suggests." I follow the view of Webster's Dictionary of English Usage and [1]The American Heritage Dictionary that "data" can be used in either the plural and singular, and "[b]oth constructions are fully standard at any level of formality" (Webster's, p. 318).
In Latin, "data" may be the plural of "datum"; in English, it's often a singular term that's synonymous with "information." I usually use it as singular, because (1) I see it as a "mass noun" -- a noun that refers to a collective, but as a single item -- so that the singular strikes me as more logical, (2) the singular seems more colloquial and English, while the plural strikes me as more fusty and Latinate (in spirit, not just etymology), and (3) I grew up as a computer programmer, and "data" is routinely used as singular in that field. But that's just my preference; I don't fault those who use data as plural. I should note that there is some controversy about this): The New Fowler's Modern English Usage (3d ed. 1996) -- a British source -- insists on the plural, except in "computing and allied disciplines"; Bryan Garner's A Dictionary of Modern English Usage also prefers the plural, though it acknowledges that the singular has been gaining ground. But I generally prefer the Webster's and Heritage approach. References 1. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=data _______________________________________________ Volokh mailing list [email protected] http://highsorcery.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volokh
