"[T]he overriding requirement, to the effect that the table must directly and faithfully represent a relation, follows from the fact that 1NF was originally defined as a property of relations, not tables." Date, C.J. "What First Normal Form Really Means" in Date on Database: Writings 2000-2006 (Springer-Verlag, 2006), p. 128.
"[F]or many years," writes Date, "I was as confused as anyone else. What's worse, I did my best (worst?) to spread that confusion through my writings, seminars, and other presentations." Date, C.J. "What First Normal Form Really Means" in Date on Database: Writings 2000-2006 (Springer-Verlag, 2006), p. 108