because

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

Also spelled becuz, bekase, cuz, kase, and kaze

US /bɪˈkʌz/ UK /bɪˈkɒz/ See IPA manual

Freq #113

Meanings

1

conj
For the reason that; used to explain why something happens.

I stayed home because I was feeling ill.
2

adv
As a result of; used in the phrase 'because of'.

The match was cancelled because of the rain.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

as being for forthyforwhysince sith sithence when

Word family

Derived forms becauseness

Related forms cause therefore

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bi Proto-West Germanic *bī Old English bī Middle English by Proto-Italic *kaussā Old Latin caussa Latin causabor. Old French causebor. Middle English cause Middle English bi cause English because From Middle English bi cause, from bi (“by”) + cause, modelled on Old French par cause.

bi cause Middle English par cause Old French

View etymology graph ->

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# because

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** conj, adv
**IPA (US):** /bɪˈkʌz/
**IPA (UK):** /bɪˈkɒz/
**Frequency rank:** 113

## Meanings
1. For the reason that; used to explain why something happens.
2. As a result of; used in the phrase 'because of'.

## Examples
- I stayed home because I was feeling ill.
- The match was cancelled because of the rain.

## Synonyms
- as
- being
- for
- forthy
- forwhy
- since
- sith
- sithence
- when

## Derived Forms
- becauseness

## Related Forms
- cause
- therefore

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: bi cause
- Root: par cause

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bi Proto-West Germanic *bī Old English bī Middle English by Proto-Italic *kaussā Old Latin caussa Latin causabor. Old French causebor. Middle English cause Middle English bi cause English because From Middle English bi cause, from bi (“by”) + cause, modelled on Old French par cause.

## AI Etymology
Because comes from Middle English bi cause, from bi (“by”) + cause, modelled on Old French par cause. Because's historical chain begins with Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep- and Proto-Indo-European *h₁eps and later passes through Latin causa, Old French cause, Middle English cause, Middle English bi cause, English because.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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because

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