It's become a mass noun, but only thanks to years of people using it wrongly. It was originally very much the plural of datum
this post was submitted on 13 Mar 2025
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Grain of sand
Data point
Grains of sand.
This is exactly how mass nouns work.
Next you'll tell me media isn't the plural of medium.
And the plural of antenna is antennas! 🤯
I think that only applies to RF antennas, as opposed to animals' antennae???
Fair enough. But we have a number of English word from Latin that we pluralize using English rules. Campuses and stadiums come to mind.
I think you're confusing this due to the common incorrect use of "that" in relation to data as if it's something singular, id est, "Could you please provide me that data?"
Technically this is grammatically incorrect (and yes before you ask, I say "those data"), but I've come to understand that people actually mean "data set" when they say this, and are just omitting that word from the sentence.
Since that is all that's needed to have everything correctly agree again, I can just fix it in my head when I hear it so that my brain doesn't explode.
I really dont think I am. I really do think it's a mass noun.
I really do think it’s a mass noun.
I'm not sure why you think that. By definition (which you even gave in your original post) that would mean that data are something that can't be broken down into individual, countable units.
But there is a smallest unit, which is called a bit. Data can be broken down into smaller, countable units. So the word doesn't fit the common definition of what a mass noun is.
But there is a smallest unit, which is called a bit. Data can be broken down into smaller, countable units.
That's not a particularly compelling argument. There's a smallest unit of sand, too, but we still use a mass noun for it.
Besides, dictionary researchers agree it's both a mass noun and a plural noun. People use it both ways. Here's what Merriam Webster says about it. (I'm going to rework it to reduce the wordiness because it was so dense!)
Data leads a life of its own quite independent of datum, of which it was originally the plural. It occurs in two constructions:
- as a plural noun (like earnings)
- taking a plural verb and plural modifiers (such as these, many, a few), but not cardinal numbers
- serving as a referent for plural pronouns (such as they, them)
- as an abstract mass noun (like information)
- taking a singular verb and singular modifiers (such as this, much, little)
- being referred to by a singular pronoun (it).
Both constructions are standard. The plural construction is more common in print, evidently because the house style of several publishers mandates it.
So OP's post is only half right, if even that much. In common speech, data is a mass noun, but many scientists and publishers still treat it as a plural noun. I would even venture most do.
Working as a programmer, most people I've interacted with use it as a mass noun, but not all. Language evolves, and the mass noun version is just as acceptable in most circles, but it certainly isn't worthy of a "you should know" or "today I learned it's actually a mass noun."
The singular of bananae is bananum.
Yanks say mass noun and not uncountable noun?
To me, mass noun sounds more like a group noun, such as family or police - where they work as both singular and plural .
My family are hungry. My family is hungry.
Brits who say "Microsoft are doing a thing" are poking knitting needles into my ears every time!
It's not plural. Microsoft is a company. A. One!
It doesn't matter that it's a company of individuals. Next your going to tell me my person is plural because I'm made from many cells. "CrayonRosary are mistaken about language!" No!
Bonus: Math is singular, too, because mathematics is singular. It's not the plural of mathematic!
We overthrew your rule specifically because of this one language issue!
Created the time line specifically for Webster to frankenstein the language for sinister ends.
I admire the gusto.
But also:
We don't call them group nouns either. We call then collective nouns.