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Gotten or Got

(110 Posts)
flappergirl Mon 08-Jan-24 22:48:23

I joined a thread on Mumsnet a while back about aspects of social media that irritate you. I cited a few things, amongst which was the increasing use of "gotten" instead of "got".

I had many replies from people who claimed that it was in fact correct. My response being that it had ceased to be used in the UK in the 18th century but it was absolutely correct in American English.

Several posters told me that it was normal in South East England, Scotland and the Midlands and that gotten, not got, was actually taught in Irish schools and always had been.

I can't speak for SE England, the Midlands or Scotland but I've had quite a few Irish friends over the years and I've never heard them say gotten instead of got and I'm sure I would have noticed.

Does anyone live in or have connections to the regions or countries mentioned and if so is this correct? Enlighten me!

4allweknow Fri 12-Jan-24 14:19:19

Lived in south east Engksbd and central Scotland, never heard gotten being used.

pce612 Fri 12-Jan-24 13:54:54

Not heard it here in the Highlands.

rowyn Fri 12-Jan-24 13:51:14

Living in the SE for the last 40 years, born and brought up in Yorkshire, also four years in Scotland and never heard 'gotten' used . Being very fond of words, grammar, etc, I'm sure I would have noticed.

Mojack26 Fri 12-Jan-24 13:25:56

I'm in Scotland. I use both. eg ill gotten gains but also 'I got given a present yesterday.'

Frenchgalinspain Fri 12-Jan-24 12:54:11

Have got is proper ..

I studied for my Masters in mass communications and journalism at New York University School of Journalism and never heard "gotten" ..

Maybe it is considered "slang" abroad ?

FranP Fri 12-Jan-24 12:45:18

A Londoner, having lived in W Scotland, S Wales NI and E Anglia, the only time I have heard gotten used was from US servicemen. Is gotten not a German derivation?

SueDoku Fri 12-Jan-24 12:33:27

Deedaa

I know there was a lot of argument about this on Facebook recently. My feeling is that, as it was an English word taken over to America by the early settlers, it can't really be described as an American import. As English evolves all the time there's no reason why an archaic word can't come back into use.

The thing that annoys me far more is the dreadful language in headlines from certain publications on line. People are continually described as making "sweet" gestures or saying a few "sweet" words every time they open their mouths. Women don't have hair any more; they have "locks" or "tresses" which are usually "flowing". They all seem to be writing for 4 year olds,

I couldn't agree more. The Sun has a reading age of 8 - which says it all really.
I had h colleague who was Scottish and she is the only person that I've heard use 'gotten' in everyday speech, so I think that the Northern/Scottish connection holds up.
At present, I'm trying (fruitlessly) to prevent my DGC from using 'like' as every other word - it's driving me mad 🙄

Bazza Fri 12-Jan-24 12:28:36

I don’t care if it’s correct or not, I find it really irritating! Along with haitch.

SallyatBaytree Fri 12-Jan-24 12:28:32

I have always thought <I got..we got> etc sounds like slang English. I always try to use another word [ eg.received/ was given/bought/fetched etc]
I recall it was my grammar school English teacher , some 55 years ago. who demanded this 'better way' for spoken english and essays!! And my parents were sticklers for good grammar.

TwinLolly Fri 12-Jan-24 12:07:57

I dislike "gotten". I was taught "got" was the correct word.

I never heard of "gotten" until I read US based news. In fact, I can't read any articles or books from the US without wanting to correct spelling.

missdeke Fri 12-Jan-24 12:03:03

Americans seem to love extending words, for instance gotten instead of got, smoothening instead of smoothing and burglarising instead of burgling, they also love to verbalise nouns e.g. summiting, and it's getting common on tv such as 'are you ready to Butlins' which I find particulrly irritating, Butlins is a place not a verb.

Sheila4483 Fri 12-Jan-24 11:52:15

I've never heard gotten generally used in Scotland.

welbeck Fri 12-Jan-24 11:44:29

wow, some of these strong feelings against something that is not a moral issue.
i find it quite extraordinary.
don't wonder if relations are a little frosty.

cangran Fri 12-Jan-24 11:44:00

I am Canadian but have lived in London since I was 22. I tried to fit in and not use words like gotten when I understood they were no longer used here but I still use forgotten sometimes as it just seems natural to me. If you don't like gotten, you probably won't like boughten (not sure of spelling), as was used in my childhood to describe store-bought, rather than homemade, cake!

Cossy Fri 12-Jan-24 11:42:19

I’m in the South, never, aside from Americans, have I heard the word “gotten” used!

HeavenLeigh Fri 12-Jan-24 11:27:58

It’s American I’ve lived in south east for 66 years and not me my family of any of our friends ever say gotten

kwest Fri 12-Jan-24 11:27:43

That is sloppy slang to say gotten.

grannytotwins Fri 12-Jan-24 11:26:54

I absolutely loathe the word gotten. My grandchildren use it, but their step dad is Canadian so they hear it at home. I also dislike them talking about the school bathrooms. I asked them why they had baths at school and they thought I was crazy. Maybe I am!

LouLou21 Fri 12-Jan-24 11:15:57

I was taught at school that Got is not a proper word and should be never used. Of course there are hundreds of those now.

Grantanow Thu 11-Jan-24 17:49:28

Wheniwasyourage

It never went away in some parts of the country, Grantanow!

That's quite possible in some communities, I imagine. Thank you.

welbeck Thu 11-Jan-24 17:21:38

calling anyone north american;
does the word or even the concept of surprise not exist there ?
i am constantly surprised by north americans reporting how shocked they are by things that would merely surprise us in uk.
eg differences in customs, terminology, driving, living in uk from usa.
or someone at work whom they hardly know, giving them a nice (!) xmas present.
we, i, would use the word surprise for something unexpected.
shock, to me, connotes something really serious, unpleasant, horrific, tragic.

welbeck Thu 11-Jan-24 17:16:34

agree with that nice distinction.

JackyB Thu 11-Jan-24 17:11:40

NotSpaghetti

Urms - I think I'd say
"I'm used to doing it this way" - or similar - as "gotten" seems to make things rather wordy somehow.

I would say that "I'm used to doing it this way" has a different - well, slightly different - meaning than "I've gotten/got used to this way".

One would imply that that's the way I've always done it and it's the way I am accustomed to, whilst the other means "I've changed to this way of doing it as opposed to how I did it before and now I've got into the habit"

Splitting hairs, I know, but that's the beauty of English: you can express such nuances.

welbeck Thu 11-Jan-24 17:11:31

re lovely on MN, there is also sometimes a hint of well-meaning but misguided, i think.
again, a moral descriptor, rather than physical appearance.

welbeck Thu 11-Jan-24 17:09:51

when a person is described as lovely, i assume it means of character or behaviour, rather than looks.
so i wonder if it has morphed in nuance, or is it perhaps regional.
all those lovely people on MN, are simply being described as good eggs or as fundamentally decent, i think.