datum
UK[ˈdeɪtəm]US[ˈdeɪtəm]
n
A single piece of information, especially one used as a basis for calculation or reasoning.
n
A fixed starting point, line, or surface used as a reference for measuring.
Morpheme Breakdown
dat
um
dat
given
um
neuter singular suffix
Etymology
The word 'datum' originates directly from Latin, where 'datum' is the neuter singular form of the past participle 'datus', meaning "that which is given". It entered English in the mid-18th century, primarily used in philosophical and scientific contexts to denote a premise granted as the foundation for argument or a measurement taken as a known starting point. The logic of the word is inherently passive, framing a piece of information not as a discovered fact but as an element "given" to the observer or thinker for use. While 'datum' remains the technical singular, its plural 'data' has become far more common in general usage, often treated as a collective singular noun meaning "information".
Analysis
Structure: dat (given) + um (neuter singular suffix)
- dat: From Latin 'datus', the past participle of 'dare' (to give). It functions as the root meaning "given".
- um: A Latin neuter singular noun suffix, indicating the word is a singular noun.
Examples
Each individual datum was carefully recorded before analysis.
The elevation was calculated using sea level as the datum.
The theory is built upon a fundamental datum about human behavior.