Adattal

Adattal is the instrumental form of the Hungarian noun adat (data). It marks the means or instrument by which an action is performed and can translate roughly as “with data” in English. The singular form adattal is used when the data are conceived as a single resource or tool, while the plural instrumental form is adatokkal, used when referring to data items collectively. Adattal appears mainly in formal, technical, or academic contexts, where data are described as the mechanism enabling an action or conclusion.

Formation and usage notes: In Hungarian, instrumental forms are created by attaching the suffix -val/-vel or -tal/-vel to the noun. For adat, the suffix becomes -tal, and phonological assimilation results in the doubled consonant, producing adattal. The corresponding plural form is adatokk al with the suffix -kal/-kel, yielding adatokk al or adatokkal in common practice. While adatokat (data) is common in everyday language, adattal is used when the emphasis is on data as a singular resource or methodological means.

Examples: A döntést adatokkal alátámasztva hozták meg. (The decision was supported with data.) A kutató adattal dolgozik. (The researcher works with data.) In many contexts, adatokk al with -kal/-kel is more natural when the data are treated as multiple items, as in adatokat használva a vizsgálat folyik. Adattal is a legitimate instrument form but tends to be less frequent than adatokkal in ordinary discourse.