h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

" 'Data' is the plural of the Latin word 'datum'. The Latin word means 'given' and a 'datum' is a given fact. Hence 'data' is any collection of facts or information. "

The word given is the "Past participle of give." (www.dictionary.com) This is a verb so data is not a plural of it as is commonly believe. Futhermore, the verb to give* does not come from a latin root.

'Do'** on the other hand is the latin verb for 'give'(as well as dedicate; sell; pay...) 'Do' can be conjugate into 'datum', however, it does not mean 'to give information' or 'given information.' 'Datum' is also a noum in latin meaning present or gift. The common usage of 'datum' today is 'given information.'

Hence 'data' may mean any collection of facts or information in todays usage of the English language, but it does not come from a latin verb meaning 'given information', as is commonly believed.

Now as for my source it will take a while to get back to those books.



* Source :http://www.etymonline.com/
give
O.E. giefan (W. Saxon), class V strong verb (past tense geaf, pp. giefen), from P.Gmc. *gebanan (cf. O.Fris. jeva, M.Du. gheven, Ger. geben, Goth. giban), from PIE *ghab(h)- "to take, hold, have, give" (see habit). It became yiven in M.E., but changed to guttural "g" by infl. of O.N. gefa "to give," O.Dan. givæ. Meaning "to yield to pressure" is from 1577. Given "allotted, predestined" (O.E. giefeðe) also had a n. sense of "fate," reflecting an important concept in pagan Gmc. ideology. The modern sense of "what is given, known facts" is from 1879. To give (someone) a cold seems to reflect the old belief that one could be cured of disease by deliberately infecting others. What gives? "what is happening?" is attested from 1940. Give-and-take (n.) is originally from horse racing (1769) and refers to races in which bigger horses were given more weight to carry, lighter ones less. Give-away (n.) is from 1872.

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
Etymology: Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Swedish giva to give; akin to Old English giefan, gifan to give, and perhaps to Latin habEre to have, hold

** Souce http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe

Desi Arnaz' mother was an heir to the Bacardi Rum fortune.

So he didn't have to Love Lucy

Non sequiturs conversation is almost 3 years old.

OK, yuNobody, if you want to get pedantic, let's get pedantic.

Source: Oxford English Dictionary
datum n. (pl. ~a) 1. thing known or granted, assumption or premiss from which inferences may be drawn; fixed starting point of scale, etc. 2. (in pl) facts or information esp. as basis for inference; quantities or characters operated on by computers etc.

So according to the OED 'data' *is* plural of 'datum'. You're right about the 'past participle', but wrong about the plural. As for the origin of the word:

Source: Oxford Library of Words and Phrases, Vol. III Word Origins
datum - thing given or granted; chiefly pl. data XVII - L., n. pp. of dare (give).

The stuff from 'XVII' onwards means the use of the word harks back to the 17th century and it is a Latin word, notably a noun from the past participle of dare (to give).

It kind of knocks your idea of a 1970s origin for the word on the head, no matter what your source says.

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Yes, me too (but it is funny. Fowl language....)

Because of the cleaning detergents used in the water processing plants in Antigua, tap water there can often taste vaguely of lemon.

Because London tap water has been through at least seven people, it can taste a lot nastier than lemons.
Stick to beer

The people of Norway consume more Mexican food than those of any other European country.

OLÉ.

Norwegians consume the most pizza in Europe. But if it was a choice between the National dish, Lutefisk, and pizza I know which I'd choose.

"The people of Norway consume more Mexican food than those of any other European country."

So thats why people in Mexico are starving.

Definitely a trade deficit... I don't see a lot of Mexicans eating Lutefisk either.

Not from where you're standing, no.

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Me too!

What the bugry is Lutefisk? it sounds like a kind of fishy/musical instrument ensemble. Can you order Lutefisk as a Pizza Topping? That would be a paradox. Pizza or Lutefisk becomes Lutefisk Pizza or Lutefisk. A choice that is no choice. Are we loking at an attempt at global domination by Lutefisk eaters? is there a McLutefisk, a Lutefisk with lettuce, onion and tomato in a healthy sesame seed bap. Can, or should, a Lutefisk be Kentucky fried? These are all thoughts now running around inside my head.

*goes for a Lutefisk, er I mean Lie down*

If you really want to know Google it. But don't say I didn't warn you.

I googled and found this

"O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk, how fragrant your aroma.
O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk, you put me in a coma.
You smell so strong, you look like glue
You taste yust like an overshoe
But Lutefisk, come Saturday
I tink I'll eat you anyvay..."

and that there is a link to H2G2 so someone somewhere must of written an entry on it here.

I am now on a Lutefisk mission.

Lutefisk: A155963

The registration number 'MB1' is owned by Max Bygraves. He once turned down £100,000 from Mercedes Benz to buy it from him.

An egg boiled for 5 minutes at 14,000 feet altitude would be slightly underdone.