Stop! Grammar time: “Data is” or “Data are”?

This week’s blog is all about the word “data”! Is it singular or plural? Can it be either? Is it a mass noun or not? You will learn some history behind the word, colloquial uses, and accepted rules of use. 

1. LATIN WORD

“Data” is the plural of “datum”. In modern English, “datum” is not as commonly used as “data”. The exception being, however, “datum point.”

2. “DATUM” IS A RARE WORD

The Oxford English Corpus (OEC) has 917 instances of “datum”, compared with 542,151 for “data.” As of 2006, there were 1,889,417,697 texts uploaded to the database. Instances are unique occurrences of the word.

3. COLLECTIVE SINGULAR?

“Datum” is treated as an English singular noun (count noun). Up until about the mid 20th century,  was typically treated as a plural (“…these data..”; “…the data are classified…”)

4. EVOLUTION & MASS

The definition of “data” has evolved and is now a mass noun ( a mass noun are those which can’t be counted (happiness, concrete, warmth) and they are always accompanied by a singular verb. This is especially true for computing and general use. Data is now treated in the same way as its near-synonym, the mass noun “information.” This is well established and generally accepted in standard English writing (“Data was collected over a number of years.”)

5. DISPUTE

There is not a definitive ruling on the singularity or plurality of the word. In fact, there isn’t even a consensus on conjugation. The OED‘s evidence shows that the plurals “datas “(1645) a long history and crops up in varied sources, from scientific and academic journals to The Times. “Datum” can also be made plural by adding English “s” to the Latin word for “datums.” When a word is imported into English, it effectively becomes an English word, hence the ‘s” ending.

6. TL;DR

Data can take either a singular or plural verb in standard English, but be consistent within a piece of writing, always check the style policy of the organization, and be familiar with the grammatical debate that exists around “data” & its definitions.

Resources:

“Top 10 Grammar Myths: Data is Plural so Must Take A Plural Verb.” Online Grammar. https://www.onlinegrammar.com.au/TOP-10-GRAMMAR-MYTHS-DATA-IS-PLURAL-SO-MUST-TAKE-A-PLURAL-VERB/

Soanes, Catherine. “What is the plural of Data?” Oxford Dictionaries.  29 April 2014. https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2014/04/29/DATA-MEDIA-TWO-TRICKY-LATIN-PLURALS-HANDLE/

Still need help deciding if data is singular or plural? Make an appointment with the Graduate Writing Center! 

CONTACT US:
Location: 43 Administration Building (inside the Graduate Center) 
Phone: 806.742.2476, ext. 1