because info

[Baker, John]

I posted on "Because X" in 2011, which I believe was the first discussion of the phenomenon, http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1108C&L=ADS-L&P=R6147.  Then there was a Language Log thread in 2012, http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4068.  When did it suddenly become apparent that "because" was so predominant in 2013?


John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of David Barnhart
Sent: Saturday, January 04, 2014 11:05 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: because info

The American Dialect Society pronounced is Word of the Year 2013 (last
night) the word _because_ when used with an immediately following noun or adjective etc.  In part their press release says:



"This year the very old word _because_ [from Middle English, about 1300] exploded with new grammatical possibilities in informal online [?] use,"
Zimmer said.  "No longer does _because_  have to be followed by _of_ or a full clause.  Now one often sees tersely worded rationales like 'because science' or 'because reasons.'  You might not go to a party 'because tired.'
As one supporter put it, _because_ should be Word of the Year 'because useful'!"





My son (a student at SUNY-Potsdam) says that he's heard it said out loud and that the commonest is the phrase "because reasons."  It's mostly humorous he thinks.



Regards,

David



barnhart at highlands.com

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org