data

Where does the word "data" come from? It comes from Latin datum, and was adopted directly into English (1640s).

Data’s story begins in Latin: datum meant “a thing given.” Past participle of 'dare', to give. It reached English by 1640s as data. The plural became a mass noun after computers arrived in the 1940s. Today, data means facts and statistics collected for analysis.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient datum "a thing given", past participle of 'dare', to give.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1640s data "facts and statistics", the plural became a mass noun after computers arrived in the 1940s.