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Datum is a singular piece of information; a singular, starting point of reference, against which measurements are made. Although rarely used as such today, it is the singular form of the word “data” .
In today’s real estate world, the most common use of a datum is found in a metes and bounds legal description of a property.
Such a legal description might include “…beginning at the intersection of the eastern boundary of the Columbia River and the southwesterly corner of the State of Oregon…”. In this example, “the intersection”, that single point in space, would be considered the datum from which all other measurements are made that are contained within the legal description.
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Jim Eyre