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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!

Chocolatelovinggran Tue 09-Jan-24 15:59:16

I don't like either in written ( formal) format but I accept that " got" is widely used in speech. The television programme should be " Britain Has Talent , of course. Pedant, moi?

welbeck Tue 09-Jan-24 13:15:59

biglouis

I can recall it from my childhood in Liverpool people speaking of "gotten wet" and "gotten in trouble". However it was not and expression used by all classes.

maybe from the irish influence there ?
sounds similar to my, gotten hold of. english.stackexchange.com/questions/199544/ive-gotten-better-looking-as-i-get-older-when-did-gotten-re-enter-the-breng

Cabbie21 Tue 09-Jan-24 13:09:11

A friend who lives in Cornwall uses gotten but she did live in the US for a while so may have imported it.

Jaxjacky Tue 09-Jan-24 13:08:41

MrJ is from Northern Ireland and lived there for nearly forty years, neither he nor his extensive family use either word

Marmin Tue 09-Jan-24 13:06:51

Coming from the black country, gotten was often used in speech. Nothing wrong with it in my humble opinion.

Urmstongran Tue 09-Jan-24 13:02:53

Redcar

I’m from south east London and have only heard gotten spoken by young people. I also remember being told not to use ‘nice’.

I’m young.

Wheniwasyourage Tue 09-Jan-24 13:01:20

It’s used quite commonly in the north east of Scotland, and not as an imported Americanism.

Freya5 Tue 09-Jan-24 12:59:47

Gotten, according to Oxford English Dictionary, was first used in 1382, from the Anglo Saxons. Used in King James Bible. Any one for a pub quiz!!

Glorianny Tue 09-Jan-24 11:53:52

Thanks for a reminder all the other things that English teachers banned! I wonder if it was part of their training?

I think I have heard "gotten" used in speech. Usually for something like "I've just gotten over flu"

Grandma70s Tue 09-Jan-24 11:08:59

We were also told not to use nice - with the inevitable result that one girl handed in a composition where almost every other word was ‘nice’. The teacher took it in good part.

Redcar Tue 09-Jan-24 11:08:48

I’m from south east London and have only heard gotten spoken by young people. I also remember being told not to use ‘nice’.

Lovetopaint037 Tue 09-Jan-24 11:04:29

I also remember a teacher telling us not to use Nice. She said it wasn’t a proper word.

Granny23 Tue 09-Jan-24 10:58:42

Glorianny

Never used "gotten"but do remember being told by my English teacher that "got' was an overused word and I should look for another word to replace it. Don't suppose she would like "gotten" either.

That was my experience too. We were advised to use - I received, I have been given, I have, I own, etc. I caught or developed for illnesses.

This was the teacher who also banned the use of 'Nice' from our written work.

NotSpaghetti Tue 09-Jan-24 10:46:27

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.

Urmstongran Tue 09-Jan-24 10:38:41

I’ve used it on occasion. Actually quite like it! 😊
As in ‘I’ve gotten used to doing it this way’ for example.

eazybee Tue 09-Jan-24 10:33:29

I remember being told to avoid 'got'; 'a lot of' was' was frowned upon as well.

biglouis Tue 09-Jan-24 10:32:43

I can recall it from my childhood in Liverpool people speaking of "gotten wet" and "gotten in trouble". However it was not and expression used by all classes.

Grandma70s Tue 09-Jan-24 10:00:30

Yes, Shakespeare used it in Richard III.

Sago Tue 09-Jan-24 10:00:18

It’s creeping into British journalism, not a word I like!

Grandma70s Tue 09-Jan-24 09:56:28

I know it was used in English once - did Shakespeare use it? - but now it is definitely American. As far as I’m concerned, it is incorrect in English and should be avoided.

MaizieD Tue 09-Jan-24 09:46:46

Glorianny

Never used "gotten"but do remember being told by my English teacher that "got' was an overused word and I should look for another word to replace it. Don't suppose she would like "gotten" either.

Goodness! Did we go to the same school, Glorianny?

I was brought up in Essex and came north to Durham via Yorkshire. En route I have never heard any British person use 'gotten' instead of 'got'.

Grammaretto Tue 09-Jan-24 09:42:15

Flappergirl I enjoy Bill Bryson's books and own a few but I must have borrowed that one from the library.

Oopsadaisy1 Tue 09-Jan-24 09:41:10

I never heard the word ‘gotten’ when I was in the South of England.
I rarely use the word ‘got’.

Glorianny Tue 09-Jan-24 09:38:23

Never used "gotten"but do remember being told by my English teacher that "got' was an overused word and I should look for another word to replace it. Don't suppose she would like "gotten" either.

flappergirl Tue 09-Jan-24 09:28:56

Thanks so much to everyone for your replies. I was very interested to hear other people's understanding and it certainly seems to align with mine.

I meant to qualify in my original post that I am not referring to young people who seem to have adopted "gotten" as the norm which is most definitely a result of social media or American TV.

Farmor15, I thought it highly unlikely that gotten was taught in Irish schools. I would imagine that English is taught there in the same way it is taught here.

Grammaretto, thanks for the Bill Bryson link, most interesting and I love his books.

I imagine that with so many young people now using the word, it will once more become mainstream in the UK. Language constantly evolves.