Dictionary of English - data

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Strictly speaking, data is the plural of datum, and means 'a fact', 'a piece of information'. It is often used as another word for information, followed by a singular verb: Data is stored on the computer. This is now regarded as acceptable, especially in American English and in the language of information technology.

By far the most general pronunciation is [day-ter], though a few people prefer the traditional Latin pronunciation [dar-ter].

Black, red, and green are known as the ‘black liberation’ colours, recalling Jamaican black activist Marcus Garvey. Taken from the arms of Nyasaland, the sun indicates the dawning of a new era. Effective date: 6 July 1964. >>