… because the law commands it. The influence of gender, social class and courtroom role on the choice of causal conjunctions in the Old Bailey Corpus

Abstract

The study analyses the influence of gender, class, and courtroom role on the use of the causal conjunctions as , because and for in the Old Bailey Corpus, which consists of transcripts of courtroom proceedings from the Late Modern English period (1720–1913). Both because and as increase in frequency, while for decreases rapidly; at the same time, the second-highest class prefers because to a lesser degree than all other classes. Defendants in the courtroom stand out by using because more frequently than representatives of other roles. Contrary to expectations, gender does not play a role.