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English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet

theatlantic.com

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Re: English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet

#61

Post by scythe »

alex_c wrote: post #10

What's fascinating to me is that, unlike so many other language "changes", this isn't caused by laziness or carelessness. This seems to be a rare case where removing words adds information, rather than removing it: "The talks failed because of politics" means roughly what it says, while "The talks failed because politics" means roughly "The talks failed because of politics, which is the kind of thing that always happ…

The closest thing I can think of to the removed word is not "of" but the Spanish "hay" (pronounced like "I"), which has no clear English analogue, but it means roughly "there is" or "the present state of affairs includes". The talks failed because hay politics (there is politics), the sandwich is delicious because hay bacon (it has bacon), you should go to the planetarium because hay space (there is [the profundity of our relationship to the cosmos]), where in the last case we also consider the context of the word "space" (nobody would here say "because cosmos!").

Re: English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet

#62

Post by __pThrow »

dnautics wrote: post #25

My suspicion is that this evolved from the phrase "because f-ck you, that's why", which is pretty old (~5-10 years). Edit: Oldest usage, as found by google: http://www.dkvine.com/games/dkl3/ (2001), line 807 in the source; this is probably not the first usage in all of english.

Yes, and instead of claiming it to be "explicitly ironic" as the author does, I had actually thought as I read it, it's mostly "implicitly fuck you."

Re: English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet

#63

Post by Alex_Jiang »

lmkg wrote: post #35
alex_c wrote: post #10

What's fascinating to me is that, unlike so many other language "changes", this isn't caused by laziness or carelessness. This seems to be a rare case where removing words adds information, rather than removing it: "The talks failed because of politics" means roughly what it says, while "The talks failed because politics" means roughly "The talks failed because of politics, which is the kind of thing that always happ…

I think "idiom" is an apt description. It's a compact phrase that conveys at least two layers of meaning. Most importantly, one of those meanings cannot simply be parsed from the direct syntax & vocabulary that make up the phrase, but relies on the cultural familiarity with the phrase and its common usage. I do wonder, though, how long this secondary meaning will last. Right now the dismissive connotation comes about…

I'm not sure that understanding this is that predicated on cultural familiarity. I'd argue the majority of its meaning comes from the fact that it "breaks the rules in order to be overly brief." The syntax being intentionally wrong, bad, and clumsy coincides with the fact that it's often used to describe absurd things and situations. Clumsy syntax = slightly belligerent rhetoric? I could be wrong, my main idea of a idiom is a proverb or figurative parallel illustrating a concept.

Re: English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet

#64

Post by pnathan »

humanrebar wrote: post #16

Maybe it's just me, but the "prepositional because" is usually deprecative of the subject. The article details the implications of the prepositional because: "It conveys focus... It conveys brevity... But it also conveys a certain universality." People use it when they're busy, drunk, or absent-minded to be self-deprecative. As in: "Maxed out my credit card because too much beer!" But people also use it to disparage…

I read "A because X" and expand it out to :

because of X and for all of the usual connotations and implications of X, which the (reader|hearer) surely understands, A happened.

Re: English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet

#65

Post by ep103 »

humanrebar wrote: post #49
jrochkind1 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In fact, I'm having a hard time coming up with an example of a "because X" clause that has complimentary implications. I added bacon to my milkshake because delicious. I don't normally like superhero movies, but I went to see the Avengers, because Joss Whedon.

This is close to being complimentary, but it comes across as more of a compliment to Joss Whedon than the subject. At best, it's a neutral expression of fandom. At worst, it's an admission of fanboy (or fangirl) proclivities. Some sort of context is needed to clarify which one.

I like this

Because reasons

Re: English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet

#66

Post by ozataman »

Huh. This new form of "because" in an actual, intended-to-be-grammatically-correct sentence sounds weird to me and I don't think I personally use it at all. Isn't it just "because of" without the "of" when people are in a rush, typing on a tiny keyboard or just plain lazy? Or when the intent is to construct a witty, purposefully broken sentence?

Re: English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet

#67

Post by slug_MORE_slug »

Slug is so much light than snail who have shell to copy slug technology.

The snail use the shell beacause is a fucking faget.

snail got crush so easy, and you can give the slug to ur dog chew and it ll still eat lettuce.

shell is MORE heavy than no shell.

some slug have internal shell because more evolved

Your cousin will not want to stay on your house to play slug.

If you trow the slug on the wall, the wall will go up.

Trow both on water and watch which will come up first.

slug at mate will make a slimecord. The snail will show dribble.

All slug are hermaphrodite. Snail is too but because faget

slug is the name of a bullet. Snail means it is slow.

Slug will eat carrion, slug don't give a fuck

slug didn't needed an upgrade. Slug is perfect

Re: English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet

#68

Post by elwell »

ozataman wrote: post #66

Huh. This new form of "because" in an actual, intended-to-be-grammatically-correct sentence sounds weird to me and I don't think I personally use it at all. Isn't it just "because of" without the "of" when people are in a rush, typing on a tiny keyboard or just plain lazy? Or when the intent is to construct a witty, purposefully broken sentence?

exactly. the whole thing is being blown out of proportion... why did I just read that anyway?

Re: English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet

#69

Post by optymizer »

elwell wrote: post #68
ozataman wrote: post #66

Huh. This new form of "because" in an actual, intended-to-be-grammatically-correct sentence sounds weird to me and I don't think I personally use it at all. Isn't it just "because of" without the "of" when people are in a rush, typing on a tiny keyboard or just plain lazy? Or when the intent is to construct a witty, purposefully broken sentence?

exactly. the whole thing is being blown out of proportion... why did I just read that anyway?

because procrastination

Re: English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet

#70

Post by enraged_camel »

alex_c wrote: post #10

What's fascinating to me is that, unlike so many other language "changes", this isn't caused by laziness or carelessness. This seems to be a rare case where removing words adds information, rather than removing it: "The talks failed because of politics" means roughly what it says, while "The talks failed because politics" means roughly "The talks failed because of politics, which is the kind of thing that always happ…

>>"The talks failed because of politics" means roughly what it says, while "The talks failed because politics" means roughly "The talks failed because of politics, which is the kind of thing that always happens when politics are involved"

Well, no. It actually alludes to the fact that politics was the hand-wavy excuse used to describe why the talks failed.

It goes back to "X happened because aliens." As in, we can't explain why it happened, therefore we'll just say it was aliens that did it.

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