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English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet
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| Vector A |
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| quote: | Let's start with the dull stuff, because pragmatism.
The word "because," in standard English usage, is a subordinating conjunction, which means that it connects two parts of a sentence in which one (the subordinate) explains the other. In that capacity, "because" has two distinct forms. It can be followed either by a finite clause (I'm reading this because [I saw it on the web]) or by a prepositional phrase (I'm reading this because [of the web]). These two forms are, traditionally, the only ones to which "because" lends itself.
I mention all that ... because language. Because evolution. Because there is another way to use "because." Linguists are calling it the "prepositional-because." Or the "because-noun."
You probably know it better, however, as explanation by way of Internet—explanation that maximizes efficiency and irony in equal measure. I'm late because YouTube. You're reading this because procrastination. As the language writer Stan Carey delightfully sums it up: "'Because' has become a preposition, because grammar."
...It's a usage, in other words, that is exceptionally bloggy and aggressively casual and implicitly ironic. And also highly adaptable. Carey has unearthed instances of the "because-noun" construction with the noun in question being, among other terms, "science, math, people, art, reasons, comedy, bacon, ineptitude, fun, patriarchy, politics, school, intersectionality, and winner." (Intersectionality! Because THEORY. Bacon! Because BACON.)
But the formulation isn't simply limited to nouns. Carey again:
The construction is more versatile than “because+noun” suggests. Prepositional because can be yoked to verbs (Can’t talk now because cooking), adjectives (making up examples because lazy), interjections (Because yay!), and maybe adverbs too, though in strings like Because honestly., the adverb is functioning more as an exclamation. The resulting phrases are all similarly succinct and expressive. |
I'm not sure that this is any less ephemeral than the use of "tubular" to mean "cool," but I thought it was kind of interesting. |
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| Halcyon+On+On |
| Because because. |
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| Lira |
| Actually, things like this happen all the time. Because natural. |
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| Vector A |
| Has anyone heard people use this construction in spoken English? I never have, so I wonder if it is only a written phenomenon. |
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| Sushipunk |
| quote: | Originally posted by Vector A
Has anyone heard people use this construction in spoken English? I never have, so I wonder if it is only a written phenomenon. |
Yeah, I've never heard it spoken either, only written. |
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| FuzzQi |
| quote: | Originally posted by Vector A
Has anyone heard people use this construction in spoken English? I never have, so I wonder if it is only a written phenomenon. |
Yeah my girlfriend and some of my friends do this. |
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| Lilith |
I blame MGM & the jews.
| quote: | If ever, oh ever a wiz there was, The Wizard of Oz is one because
Because, because, because, because, because
Because of the wonderful things he does |
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| itsamemario |
I see they claim it's spawned in the blogger world. What utter lazy kunts. "Can't talk right now because cooking"? If the intent is indeed to shorten it, why use so many extra words, when you're just gonna sound silly, and like you have nothing but spare time to write words in. "Can't talk. Cooking" is by far increasingly efficient as opposed to simply omitting one word, albeit a conjugation of a verb and a pronoun (in this case).
I honestly don't see the reason to write paragraph up and paragraph down on trivial subjects, everyone knows there is no need in flogging a dead horse, no matter how fun it may be, and I think kids should be taught in school how to shorten sentences down to the utmost bare minimum, where absolutely no time is spent on frivolous and futile excercises in trying to beautify the language, as there is simply no need for it in this stay-up forever,no-sleep-today-existence of the twentyfirst century, or the iAeon if you'd like to use that term.
iPoch is also another word that can be used for the time we live in. |
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