As I mentioned before, I work at a newspaper, which means I spend a lot of my time correcting grammatical mistakes.
This means I am attentive to things others call anal. Case in point, the difference between "since" and "because."
In common use, the two words mean the same thing, but to someone who works with words daily as I do, they couldn't be more different.
"Since" deals with temporal events such as "Since I was seven years old, I liked to run." And "because" deals with cause and effect such as, "Because I run, I am skinny."
I am not sure where the difference comes from, but I do know it matters, and when people say something like, "Since I am tired, I won't go out tonight."
When applied with the correct meaning, this phrase doesn't make any sense. It implies a weird temporal relation that doesn't make sense.
Granted, I know what the person saying this statement means, but what I struggle with the question of correcting the offending error or letting it slide.
In the end, the grammar doesn't matter to the normal individual. The addition of the knowledge doesn't make his or her life any better, and it only gives me a sense of satisfaction.
Of course, it's hard to resist such a satisfaction. It's good to be right especially when you have a dictionary to back you up. However, if I am going to correct someone I would like the see behavior change for good, and correcting grammar for the sake of correcting grammar doesn't mean a whole lot to the average person. In fact, the exchange usually goes something:
"Since I was tired, I decided to stay inside."
"Actually, it's 'because'."
"What?"
"Not since, because is the right word."
"Oh okay... like I was saying Since i was tired..."
I never try to correct someone twice. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
I don't think I am insane yet.
And it's nice to work in an environment where people get to paid to listen to my corrections, but I suppose grammar mistakes will always shine on my rain parade.
Etymologically, you are correct, because SINCE comes from adverbs meaning later, or, more simply, after, in Old English.
ReplyDeleteBut we have to face the fact that in ordinary speech people sometimes choose to use SINCE to mean BECAUSE. They are perhaps thinking of some kind of before-and-after causation, or, as the Romans put it when describing logical errors, post hoc ergo propter hoc.
The confusion is particularly acute in technical writing, where a procedure that begins with "Since" may mean "Because," or "After," or "As long as x continues."
Your recommendation is a good one: be clear whether you are talking about time or cause. Thanks for bringing up this "difficult conversation."