# datum
## English
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin datum (“a given”). Doublet of die.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈdeɪtəm/, /ˈdætəm/, /ˈdɑːtəm/ (see data for regional distribution)
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -eɪtəm, -ætəm, -ɑːtəm

### Noun

datum (plural (senses 1–3) data or (senses 1 and 4–5) datums)
* (dated) Singular of data; a single recorded observation.
    Synonym: data point
    Holonym: data set
* (philosophy) A fact known from direct observation.
* (philosophy) A premise from which conclusions are drawn.
* (cartography, surveying, engineering) A fixed reference point or set of reference points which precisely define a system of measurement or a coordinate system.
    Near-synonym: benchmark
    A geodetic datum is sometimes also called a benchmark.
    The machinist is required to measure this dimension from the hole circle datum when determining whether it is within tolerance.
** 2000, Nuno Sergio Marques Antunes, “The Importance of the Tidal Datum in the Definition of Maritime Limits and Boundaries”, in Maritime Briefing, volume 2, number 7, International Boundaries Research Unit, University of Durham, page 5:In a strict sense, a tidal datum can be understood as the reference plane (or surface) to which the height of a predicted tide is referred. […] Sounding and chart datums are low water datums, that is, they refer to the level of the water surface at low tide. Nonetheless, there are also datums based on high water levels. […] These two different datums may be included in the broader category of vertical datums, which comprises any plane or surface used as a reference to measure vertical distances (such as depths, drying features, heights on shore, etc.).
** 2007, Roger F Tomlinson, Thinking about GIS: geographic information system planning for managers:Datums are another important map aspect related to projection. A datum provides a base reference for measuring locations on Earth's surface.
** 2012, Yong-Qi Chen, Yuk-Cheung Lee, chapter 2.3, in Geographical Data Acquisition:For horizontal measurements [on the Earth], we fix a mathematical body of Earth in space using a Cartesian coordinate system. After that, a separate coordinate system is created over the surface of this body to generate horizontal coordinates. A mathematical earth body fixed in space makes up the horizontal datum.
* (nautical) A floating reference point, or SLDMB, used to evaluate surface currents in a body of water. Often employed by coastal search and rescue.

#### Usage notes

See data § Usage notes.

#### Derived terms

* chart datum
* datum circle
* datum line
* datum plane
* datum point
* datum surface
* metadatum
* sense datum

#### Translations
### Verb

datum (third-person singular simple present datums, present participle datuming or datumming, simple past and past participle datumed or datummed)
* To provide missing data points by using a mathematical model to extrapolate values that are outside the range of a measuring device.
** 1982, Paul M. Tucker, Pitfalls Revisited - Issue 3, →ISBN, page 6:Removing the effects of any period of deformation by datuming or flattening selective reflection horizons should restore the structure prior to the datumed horizon, or the amount of deformation above the datumed horizon.
** 1998, Stuart Fagin, Model-based Depth Imaging, →ISBN, page 164:On the left the stacking velocity functions are datumed to sea level and show great disparity.
** 2014, Hua-Wei Zhou -, Practical Seismic Data Analysis, →ISBN, page 62:On the other hand, if we have a sufficiently accurate near-surface velocity model, we may apply wavefield datuming to convert the raw data into new data as if they were recorded along a datum below the near surface (Box 2.3).

#### Related terms

* data, information
* die, dice

### References

* AskOxford.com: Is 'data' singular or plural?
* “datum”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present. (The American Heritage Dictionary's usage note on 'data')
* John Quiggin: Data is not the plural of datum
* johnaugust.com: ‘Data’ is singular
* “datum”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

## Czech
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

datum n
* date (point in time)

#### Related terms

* datovat

### Further reading

* “datum”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “datum”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
* “datum” in Akademický slovník současné češtiny, 2012–2025, slovnikcestiny.cz

## Dutch
### Etymology

From Middle Dutch datum, from Latin datum (“given”, past participle) (from the practice of signing letters in Latin by noting the date on which they were dispatched). Compare English date.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈdaːtʏm/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: da‧tum

### Noun

datum m (plural datums or data, diminutive datumpje n)
* date (point in time)

#### Usage notes

Datum is one of the few Dutch words ending on -um that does not have a neutral gender.

#### Derived terms

* geboortedatum
* overlijdensdatum
* trouwdatum

#### Descendants

* Negerhollands: datum
* → Caribbean Javanese: dhatem

### Noun

datum n (plural data, diminutive datumpje n)
* datum (piece of information)
    Synonym: gegeven

## Indonesian
### Etymology

From Dutch datum, from Middle Dutch datum, from Latin datum (“given”, past participle).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈdatʊm]
* Hyphenation: da‧tum

### Noun

datum (plural datum-datum)
* date (day and month)
    Synonyms: hari bulan, penanggalan, tanggal, tarikh
* (cartography, engineering) A fixed reference point, or a coordinate system.

### Noun

datum (plural)
* a single information

### References

* “datum” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Latin
### Etymology

Neuter past participle of dō.

### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈda.tum/, [ˈd̪ät̪ʊ̃ˑ]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈda.tum/, [ˈd̪äːt̪um]

### Noun

datum n (genitive datī); second declension
* gift, present
    Synonyms: pretium, dōnum, praemium, datiō, oblātiō
** c. 209 BCE, Plautus, Asinaria 56:Quia non suppetunt dictis data.Because his gifts do not match his words.

#### Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

#### Related terms

* datus

#### Descendants

* Catalan: dau
* English: datum
* French: dé
* → German: Datum
* Italian: dato, dado
* → Norwegian Bokmål: data
* Occitan: dat
* Gallo-Italic:
** Romagnol: dêd
* Portuguese: dado
* Spanish: dato, dado

### Verb

datum
* accusative supine of dō

### Participle

datum
* inflection of datus:
** nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular
** accusative masculine singular

### References

* "datum", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
* “datum”, in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia‎
* “datum”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
* “datum”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly

## Latvian
### Noun

datum
* vocative singular of datums

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology

From Latin datum. Doublet of dato.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈdɑː.tʉm/

### Noun

datum n (definite singular datumet, indefinite plural datum, definite plural datuma)
* (dated) a date (specific day in time)
* a fact

#### Related terms

* datere

### References

* “datum” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology

From Latin datum.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /dǎːtum/
* Hyphenation: da‧tum

### Noun

dátum m (Cyrillic spelling да́тум)
* date (as in day, month, and year)

#### Declension
### References

* “datum”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

## Slovene
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /dàːtum/, /dáːtum/

### Noun

dātum m inan
* date (point of time)

#### Inflection
## Swedish
### Etymology

From Latin datum (“given”, past participle).

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

datum n
* date; (day, month and year)

#### Usage notes

* The now very uncommon (or obsolete) declension datot-data was used in 1958.

#### See also

* datumlinjen
* datera
* bäst-före-datum

### Anagrams

* mutad