Proper use of the word gotten

From Sarah Woodbury’s website: Romance and Fantasy in Medieval Wales

On the use of the word ‘gotten’

Several UK readers have wondered about the use of the word ‘gotten’ in my medieval mysteries. Since the word is not in common usage in England right now, it seems odd to them to read it at all, and a glaring ‘Americanism’ in a book set in the medieval period. At first glance, this might appear to be yet another instance of ‘two countries separated by a common language,’ but as it turns out, the history of the word ‘gotten’ is a lot more interesting than that.

‘Gotten’ is, in fact, an ancient English word that was in use in England at the time America was colonized by the English. Over the centuries, the Americans kept on using it and the English did not.

Origin: 1150-1200(v.) Middle English geten < Old Norse geta to obtain, beget; cognate with Old English –gietan (> Middle English yeten), German-gessen, in vergessen to forget; (noun) Middle English: something gotten, offspring, derivative of the v.

The British author quotes from reference.dot.com, whose the page is now obsolete.

“British English discontinued the use of “have gotten” as a form of the past participle for “get” over 300 years ago. […]. It is now rarely used in the British version of the English language. American English continues to use “have gotten” to emphasis the action performed. In American English language “has got” implies possession. It is assumed that if “has got” is used that it is referencing what the person has in their possession. On the other hand, “has gotten” implies that the person acquired, received or obtained an item.”

In brief, gotten is a perfectly legitimate word with a long and glorious history.

Languages are prone to evolve. Evolution of language occurs for any number of reasons, including geographical isolation of a group of speakers, natural change over time, and the need for new words to describe concepts that didn’t exist in the past.

In some cases, two different communities decide they want to speak different versions of a shared language simply to differentiate themselves from each other. By some accounts, part of the drive behind forming American and British forms of English was this exact reason. Americans wanted a distinctly American form of English, while the British have been more than happy to reinforce these differences to highlight their own linguistic superiority.

Thus, American and British writers often conjugate the verb get differently.

What is the Difference Between Got and Gotten?

In this post, I will compare got vs. gotten. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so you can see how they appear in context.

Plus, I will show you a memory tool that can help you choose either got or gotten correctly in your own writing.

When to Use Got

Is it got or gotten? Got is a conjugation of the verb get, which means to obtain something.

One might get coffee from a café, for instance. To get something could also mean to obtain understanding, as in the phrase I just don’t get math.

Conjugations of Got:

• I/we get: first person singular and plural present
• You get: second person singular and plural present
• He/she/it gets: third person singular present
• They get: third person plural present
• Getting: present participle
• Got: simple past

Got can also be the past participle of get.

For example,

• There has got to be a better way to solve this riddle.
• He’s finally gotten rid of his chicken pox!

When to Use Gotten

What does gotten mean? Gotten is another way to conjugate get as a past participle.

For example,

• I wouldn’t bring up Mark’s drugs use with Sheila, she’s gotten very angry when we tried to talk to her about it in the past.

Americans are more likely to use gotten than are the British, who are more likely to use got in this tense. The charts below show the relative usage of gotten vs. got within each language community.

American English:

British English:

While these charts aren’t exhaustive in their literary scope, they only look at books published in English since 1800, they still paint a clear picture of a long-term usage trend.

American English: Got vs. Gotten

As the above charts show, American writers are more likely to use the word gotten than their British counterparts. But this graph doesn’t show the full story of this word’s use, as there is a usage difference in American English between got and gotten.

As the Oxford English Dictionary notes,

• Gotten usually implies the process of obtaining something.
• Got implies the state of possession or ownership.

Let’s look at a few examples to illustrate this.

• He has gotten two tickets to the Super Bowl.
• He hasn’t got any money to go to the concert.

The first example is about acquiring tickets to the Super Bowl. The second example is a description of someone’s ability to pay for something.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Got is your only option for a simple past tense form of get. As a past participle, however, there is a slight difference in American English usage.

• Gotten is used when talking about the acquisition of something.
• Got is used when talking the state of ownership of something.

Since gotten is spelled with an N, like the word acquisition, you can remember that that word is used when talking about how something has been acquired..

Summary

Is it gotten or got? The verb get is conjugated as a past participle as either got or gotten.

• American writers differentiate a use for gotten got.
• The British prefer got.

Both “got” and “gotten” are common terms in North America, but other English dialects do not use “gotten” at all. So why is this? And what is the exact difference between “got” and “gotten”? Check out our guide below to find out how to avoid errors when using these terms.

Present and Simple Past Tenses of “Get”

The present tense verb “get” has several meanings, including:

• Come to have or receive something (e.g., I hope we get a good reception)
• Attain, achieve, or obtain something (e.g., I get a newspaper every day)
• Reach a condition or state (e.g., He will get fat if he eats the whole cake)

The simple past tense of this verb is always “got,” regardless of the context:

We got a great reception from the crowd.

I got the newspaper this morning.

He got fat when he ate all the cake.

This applies in all English dialects. So, if you are using the simple present or past tense in your writing, the only terms you will need are “get” and “got.”

Past Participles: “Got” and “Gotten” in American English

We use past participles to form the present and past perfect tenses, which both show that an action has been completed. This verb form will follow “have,” “has,” or “had” in a sentence. And American English uses both “got” and “gotten” as past participles:

• We use “got” when referring to a state of owning or possessing something.
• We use “gotten” when referring to a process of “getting” something.

For example, if we were describing the process of “getting better” at something, we would use the past participle “gotten” in the perfect tenses:

She had gotten better in the last year.

But if we were describing possessing enough time for something, we would use “got.” For example:

I have got enough time for a coffee before I go out.

The same usage applies in Canadian English. However, the term “gotten” is much rarer outside North America.

Past Participles in Other English Dialects

In other English dialects, the correct past participle form of “get” is always “got.” For instance, if we were to rewrite the examples above for a British audience, we would say:

She had got better in the last year.

I have got enough time for a cup of tea.

Notice that both sentences use “got” as a past participle. As such, if you’re writing for a non-American audience, you will not need the word “gotten.” In fact, the only time this term is used in dialects such as British and Australian English is in old-fashioned terms like “ill-gotten.”

Summary: Got or Gotten?

In American English, “got” and “gotten” can both be past participles of the verb “get.” The correct term depends on what you are describing:

• Use got when referring to a state of possessing something.
• Use gotten when referring to a process of “getting” something.

However, “gotten” is extremely rare outside North American (especially in formal writing). As such, you should always use “got” when you’re writing for a non-American audience. And if you want to be certain your writing is the best it can be, don’t forget to have it proofread.

Last Update: Jan 03, 2023

This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!

Asked by: Nikko Jones DVM

Score: 4.9/5
(46 votes)

Gotten is a past tense form of the verb to get. … The past tense form of get is got; the past participle of got is gotten. A past participle is a word that’s used with had, have or has. Therefore, it’s perfectly acceptable to use gotten if it’s being used with its companion word.

Which is correct got or gotten?

Get is the present tense form of the verb. Got is the past tense form as well as one of the two alternatives for the past participle. The other alternative for the past participle is gotten, which is generally preferred in the United States.

Is gotten grammatically correct?

Is “Gotten” Correct? People in the United States and Canada use gotten for the past participle of got in most cases. People in English-speaking countries outside of the United States and Canada usually use got.

Is gotten actually a word?

One noteworthy word is gotten: standard in the US but not in the UK. In both countries, the past tense of get is got. In British English, the past participle is also got. But in American English, it’s more complex.

Is haven’t gotten proper English?

If you want to say about you not getting sleep or if you haven’t slept. Also remember that: gotten is the standard past participle for American English. While got is the past participle used commonly in British English.

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