In this paper, I analyse the Dutch construction of the type want/omdat X from the perspective of the concept of hidden complexity. I show that while the traditional use of the conjunctions want ‘because’ and omdat ‘because’
followed by an independent or a dependent clause, respectively, is overtly more complex in that it uses more language material, its hidden complexity is low. The constructions of the type want/omdat X, on the other hand, are overtly less complex, but demonstrate a higher degree of hidden
complexity. The interpretation of the constructions of this type is namely context-dependent and relies heavily on extralinguistic discursive knowledge on the side of the listener/reader.
Want/omdat X and the fluidity of linguistic categories In this article, I set out to demonstrate the inadequateness of traditional linguistic categories in light of ongoing language change. As a case in point, I analyse some of the syntactic properties of the Dutch want/omdat X construction. The erstwhile coordinating conjunction want ‘because’ and the subordinating conjunction omdat ‘because’ not only take clauses as complements, but nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, interjections, direct speech, and emoticons as well. I discuss three proposed analyses of the aforementioned constructions: an ellipsis, a preposition, or a category sui generis. Against the backdrop of these diverging proposals, I emphasise the need to understand linguistic categories such as parts of speech as intrinsically vague and prototypical. Moreover, I also briefly sketch the diachrony of want/omdat X and show that, contrary to frequent claims, it is not a recent innovation since its precursors can be found as early as in the 1960s.
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