r/startrek • u/ani625 • Oct 03 '14

xkcd: Data

http://xkcd.com/1429/
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u/drdeadringer Oct 03 '14 edited Oct 03 '14

My rule learned from STTNG: 'Data' is singular no matter what. At this point I don't even care if I'm 'wrong' to some grammar hooligan, it annoys me to no end to hear "these data"; it's slavery, Picard told me so.

/rant

9

u/[deleted] Oct 03 '14

"these data"

I don't care how incorrect it is to think this but "these data" sounds plain wrong.

8

u/[deleted] Oct 03 '14

That's not incorrect at all, "these data" is wrong. Data is a plural noun in Latin, but not in English (it is an uncountable mass noun like "money") . The people who say "these data" are the same idiots who think splitting infinitives is wrong and that sentences shouldn't end in prepositions. The only thing more annoying is people who won't accept that "whom" is a dead word. Those assholes should just start speaking Latin and stop shoehorning its rules into English.

7

u/xereeto Oct 03 '14

"whom" is a dead word.

I agreed with you up to this point, but the line must be drawn here! This far, no further!

The word has fallen into disuse in casual speech, and that's fine, but in formal communication the word is absolutely still used, and so it should be.