*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of datum

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *deh₃-redup. Proto-Indo-European *-ti Proto-Indo-European *dédeh₃ti Proto-Italic *didō Latin dō Latin datusnom. Latin datumlbor. English datum Learned borrowing from Latin datum, a nomi

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

Something known or assumed as fact, and is made the basis of reasoning or inference which an intellectual system of any sort (such as knowledge or theoretical framework) is constructed. · Singular of data: A single recorded phenomenon, especially obtained by scientific work. · A point, line, plane, or surface with reference to which positions (such as elevations) are measured or indicated. (Examples include a permanent benchmark in leveling or mean sea level in a topographical survey). · A floating reference point, or SLDMB, used to evaluate surface currents in a body of water, and often employed by coastal search and rescue.

verb

To provide missing data points by using a mathematical model to extrapolate values that are outside the range of a measuring device.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *deh₃-redup. Proto-Indo-European *-ti Proto-Indo-European *dédeh₃ti Proto-Italic *didō Latin dō Latin datusnom. Latin datumlbor. English datum Learned borrowing from Latin datum, a nominalization of datus, perfect passive participle of dō, from Proto-Italic *didō, from Proto-Indo-European *dédeh₃ti, reduplication of *deh₃-, or from *-ti. Doublet of die.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":lbor",
        "3": "la:datum",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *deh₃-redup.\nProto-Indo-European *-ti\nProto-Indo-European *dédeh₃ti\nProto-Italic *didō\nLatin dō\nLatin datusnom.\nLatin datumlbor.\nEnglish datum\n[Appendix:Glossary#learned_borrowing|Learned borrowing]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"nom.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Nominalization of\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"give\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"redup.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Reduplication of\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"give\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*deh₃-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"reduplication\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verb\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-ti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*dédeh₃ti\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*didō\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"dō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"datus\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"nominalization\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"datum\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"datum\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"datum\">\nLearned borrowing from Latin datum, a nominalization of datus, perfect passive participle of dō, from Proto-Italic *didō, from Proto-Indo-European *dédeh₃ti, reduplication of *deh₃-, or from *-ti."
    },
    {
      "name": "dbt",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "die<id:device>"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of die"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":lbor",
        "3": "la:datum",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *deh₃-redup.\nProto-Indo-European *-ti\nProto-Indo-European *dédeh₃ti\nProto-Italic *didō\nLatin dō\nLatin datusnom.\nLatin datumlbor.\nEnglish datum\nLearned borrowing from Latin datum, a nominalization of datus, perfect passive participle of dō, from Proto-Italic *didō, from Proto-Indo-European *dédeh₃ti, reduplication of *deh₃-, or from *-ti."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*deh₃-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/deh₃-#Proto-Indo-European:_give"
    ],
    [
      "*-ti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-ti#Proto-Indo-European:_verb"
    ],
    [
      "*dédeh₃ti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/dédeh₃ti"
    ],
    [
      "*didō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/didō#Proto-Italic:_give"
    ],
    [
      "dō",
      "do#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "datus",
      "datus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "datum",
      "datum#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "datum",
      "datum#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "datus",
      "datus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "dō",
      "do#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*didō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/didō#Proto-Italic:_give"
    ],
    [
      "*dédeh₃ti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/dédeh₃ti"
    ],
    [
      "*deh₃-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/deh₃-#Proto-Indo-European:_give"
    ],
    [
      "*-ti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-ti#Proto-Indo-European:_verb"
    ],
    [
      "die",
      "die#English:_device"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Something known or assumed as fact, and is made the basis of reasoning or inference which an intellectual system of any sort (such as knowledge or theoretical framework) is constructed.",
        "Singular of data: A single recorded phenomenon, especially obtained by scientific work.",
        "A point, line, plane, or surface with reference to which positions (such as elevations) are measured or indicated. (Examples include a permanent benchmark in leveling or mean sea level in a topographical survey).",
        "A floating reference point, or SLDMB, used to evaluate surface currents in a body of water, and often employed by coastal search and rescue."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "singular"
      ],
      "recordId": "a622c9ebd8adb749c007a0896642d4382596233b6ef8b4dd29f04e88696ece20",
      "rawRecordSha256": "bb45b27043f79472d7ee049179802f053e0ad5b45efd71ed9daf95a6318edd38",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 162821
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To provide missing data points by using a mathematical model to extrapolate values that are outside the range of a measuring device."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "aca42d86eadea9794302c92ef4983ae6b158986fc989b3cd0ff69f366b569dcf",
      "rawRecordSha256": "b95c05018e09a7ffc3cc2eb7e6cb0172dd84c49e33d1d7185701637c2bb1cb02",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 162822
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for datum →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZGF0dW0