Got/gotten

Question

In my neck of the woods we say both "got" and "gotten" but at different times, with different meanings:
"I've gotta meet him" means I haven't met him yet and I want to.

"I've gotten to meet him" means I've already met him.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

While it was 2/12/04 5:18 PM throughout the UK, Anderew sprinkled little black dots on a white screen, and they fell thus:
[nq:1]In my neck of the woods we say both "got" and "gotten" but at different times, with different meanings: "I've gotta meet him" means I haven't met him yet and I want to.[/nq]
I don't see either word in that sentence.
[nq:1]"I've gotten to meet him" means I've already met him.[/nq]
On this side of the pond, where "gotten" isn't a word, "I've met him" is sufficient. Though "I got to meet him", meaning that I had the opportunity and took it, makes sense.
Stewart.

My e-mail is valid but not my primary mailbox, aside from its being the unfortunate victim of intensive mail-bombing at the moment. Please keep replies on the 'group where everyone may benefit.

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I think "I gotta meet him" means "I've got to meet him" as in "must meet him".

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"datsy" (Email Removed) ha scritto nel messaggio
[nq:1]I think "I gotta meet him" means "I've got to meet him" as in "must meet him".[/nq]
I daresay he was aware of that.
Bye, FB

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[nq:1]On this side of the pond, where "gotten" isn't a word, "I've met him" is sufficient.A small point, really, but it would be more accurate to say that "gotten" is no longer in general use in Britain.[/nq]
The American usage of both "got" and "gotten" is subtly nuanced, and when British writers try to use it to give a character an American flavour they almost invariably get it wrong.
"I have got" = "I possess"
"I have gotten" = "I have acquired"
RobertE

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[nq:2]On this side of the pond, where "gotten" isn't a word, "I've met him" is sufficient.[/nq]
[nq:1]A small point, really, but it would be more accurate to say that "gotten" is no longer in general use ... flavour they almost invariably get it wrong. "I have got" = "I possess" "I have gotten" = "I have acquired"[/nq]
There's also the "I have gotten" = "I have become" meaning in AmE, as in:

I've gotten used to this.

Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

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[nq:2]A small point, really, but it would be more accurate ... = "I possess" "I have gotten" = "I have acquired"[/nq]
[nq:1]There's also the "I have gotten" = "I have become" meaning in AmE, as in: I've gotten used to this.[/nq]
That example shows one of the many uses of the verb "to get," for which (in US English) "gotten" is the past participle. Get, got, have gotten.

to get used to something
Did you ever get used to it?
Yes, I got used to it.
I have gotten used to it.
I am getting used to it... etc.
I suppose some of the other uses still tie back to "get":

We get to see the Queen. (i.e., what a lucky treat lies ahead of us!) We got to see the Queen. (We were lucky enough to...) We've gotten to see the Queen, more than once.
Dictionaries list more special uses of get and got, and John Lawler has a page at his website on it.

Best Donna Richoux

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[nq:2]I don't see either word in that sentence. On this ... that I had the opportunity and took it, makes sense.[/nq]
[nq:1]I think "I gotta meet him" means "I've got to meet him" as in "must meet him".[/nq]
Both "I gotta..." and "I've gotta..." are used with the sense "I must...": There is, for example, an album titled "I've Gotta Be Me: The Best Of Sammy Davis Jr.." The name is taken from a song which has the following interesting line:
From
http://www.webfitz.com/lyrics/Lyrics/1969/761969.html

"I gotta be free, I've gotta be free"
A couple of other Web sites show that line as well, although about the same number show
"I've gotta be free, I've gotta be free"
and
"I gotta be free, I gotta be free."

Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com

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"Robert Englund" (Email Removed) ha scritto nel messaggio
[nq:1]"I have got" = "I possess" "I have gotten" = "I have acquired"[/nq]
Do you say "I have got" to mean "I possess"? I thought in American English one just said "I have" and "I don't have/I haven't got".
Bye, FB

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[nq:2]"I have got" = "I possess" "I have gotten" = "I have acquired"[/nq]
[nq:1]Do you say "I have got" to mean "I possess"? I thought in American English one just said "I have" and "I don't have/I haven't got".[/nq]
The American Heritage Book of English Usage at
http://www.bartleby.com/64/pages/page100.html
says that "In American English, have got is chiefly an intensive form of have in its senses of possession and obligation and can only be used in the present tense."
I would agree, with the addition that when "I've got..." is used, the intensive force is less than that of "I have got..." and in some cases, I don't see that there's really any intensive force to it. For example: "Do you have quarters for the parking meter?" "Let's see, I've got some pennies, nickels, ah, yeah, I've got some quarters here."

Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com

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[nq:2]"I have got" = "I possess" "I have gotten" = "I have acquired"[/nq]
[nq:1]Do you say "I have got" to mean "I possess"? I thought in American English one just said "I have" and "I don't have/I haven't got".[/nq]
Sure. We have a variety of ways to say the same thing. "I've got a lot of work to do" is probably more common than "I have a lot of work to do." "I got a lot of work to do," dropping the "'ve," is least formal.

The full "I have got a car" would probably be saved for emphasis, the same as "I do have a car." "I HAVE got a car, but I don't like to use it."

Best Donna Richoux
An American living in the Netherlands

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