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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!utastro!nather
From: nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: The singular form of data
Message-ID: <782@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Nov-84 11:03:45 EST
Article-I.D.: utastro.782
Posted: Wed Nov 14 11:03:45 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Nov-84 19:42:10 EST
References: <476@amdahl.UUCP>
Organization: UTexas Astronomy Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 34

[]
   >> By the way, what do you use for the singular of "opera?"
   >
   >So, you see, this ``datum/data'' question only leads to smart-ass
   >language like:
   >
   >	``While in New York I visited the Guggenheim and Natural
   >	  History musea.''
   >
   >	``The Oakland Coliseum Complex actually consists of two colisea.''
   >
   >As for ``datum'', this will probably die out after a time, as
   >we are hearing more of ``data'' used in the singular.  And I think
   >that's a good idea.

Well, it may be easier on the novice not to have to remember what language
a word came from, so s/he'll [ugh] know what the plural should be, but it
will strip the language of much of its flavor.  And if you can't have fun
with a language, what good is it?

The singular of "opera" is "opus" -- as any reader of "Bloom County" would
know.

Today's question:  what is the singular of "broccoli?"

                                 Ed Nather
                                 {allegra,ihnp4}!{ut-sally,noao}!utastro!nather
                                 Astronomy Dept., U. of Texas, Austin

-- 

                                 Ed Nather
                                 {allegra,ihnp4}!{ut-sally,noao}!utastro!nather
                                 Astronomy Dept., U. of Texas, Austin