English Has a New Preposition... (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

English Has a New Preposition...
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31 messages over 4 pages: 1 2 3 4

Hekje
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Message 25 of 31

21 November 2013 at 7:09pm | IP Logged

Serpent wrote:

It just takes some getting used to :) BTW do the structures I mentioned sound clumsy to you?

Another example of netspeak is "I can't even" without a continuation, or "I can't with those people". For now this
sounds ugly to me as well, but let's see :)

Or "all the things!"
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vonPeterhof
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Message 26 of 31

22 November 2013 at 5:33am | IP Logged

Serpent wrote:

It's more similar to потому что гладиолус I would say :)

That's what I instantly thought of. When was this joke first made, like 2003? Looks like we're ahead of the curve, we've used this meme before it got popular on the English-speaking Internet! *adjusts non-existent hipster glasses*

Slightly less on-topic, but I'm also reminded of a scene in Death Note, where a character asks the protagonist "Why do you keep looking at your watch like that" and he answers "Oh, this? It's... because I'm Kira". I first watched the scene in Japanese with English subs, before I started learning Japanese, but after I had watched lots of other anime and could recognize that the word "dakara" had a meaning close to "because". I didn't know what function the "da" in "dakara" had, so his "Kira dakara" sounded like "Because Kira" to me. I was like "Why did she get so scared of this answer? It could mean anything!"
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Ari
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Message 27 of 31

22 November 2013 at 6:48am | IP Logged

montmorency wrote:

I think it's faddish, a bit like the (to me) awful "who knew?". At least the latter is usually used in a witty-ish way, but "because" used in the way described seems as light-footed and slick as a pound of wet dough.

I think it expands the language. There's no other way of saying it in a way that carries the same punch. "Because Internet" means not only that the reason is the Internet, but it carries a heavy sense of "that's all there is" and "the explanation stops there". It has a finality and abruptness that are impossible to match with conservative English grammar. Discarding linguistic innovations such as this makes a language poorer and more rigid.
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caam_imt
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Message 28 of 31

22 November 2013 at 10:33am | IP Logged

This usage of "because" always reminds me of memes and teenagers. I guess we'll have to
wait for a while to see if it survives. On a personal level, I don't feel that saying
"because Internet" carries any more power than any other similar expression. But opinions
are subjective, so it seems to me rather extreme to call this usage impoverishment or
innovation. Time shall tell.
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Iversen
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Message 29 of 31

22 November 2013 at 12:03pm | IP Logged

nicozerpa wrote:

BTW, I've seen a few people in Spanish using the word "porque" (because) as a preposition too.

"Porque" has been in use in Spain in elliptical constructions, which is just a minor step away from its being reinterpreted as a preposition, but "because" has so to say been protected from this use because you would insert "of" - because of this or that. But apparently some language users have decided that the "of" was superfluous and decided to get rid of it, leaving just "because" which then ONLY an be analyzed as a preposition.

So far this construction is not part of my English, and I suppose it mainly is used in the spoken language. Or maybe on Twitter and Facebook. When it pops up in my Sci mags or in news broadcasts then I may choose to adopt it, not before.

Edited by Iversen on 22 November 2013 at 2:36pm
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tarvos
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Message 30 of 31

22 November 2013 at 3:43pm | IP Logged

montmorency wrote:

With all due respect to Ari, his use of it proves how ugly it is,
at least to the "ears"
of an RP-ish speaking Englander.

However, if it's textspeak, why not " 'cos" or "cos", I wonder.

I think it's faddish, a bit like the (to me) awful "who knew?". At least the latter is
usually used in a witty-ish way, but "because" used in the way described seems as
light-
footed and slick as a pound of wet dough.

I have seen people write "'Cause internet" before.

Because Internet, or because cold, or because corruption means that that is the only
and sole reason for something. It's quite a clever construction when you think about
it. I use it in particular situations, I don't just replace "because of" or "because...
+ verb". It renders emphasis that the reason is a singularity.

Edited by tarvos on 22 November 2013 at 3:44pm
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Serpent
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Message 31 of 31

02 January 2014 at 5:44pm | IP Logged

"but" is also becoming a preposition.

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