Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 2 of 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
#18074 02/07/01 11:20 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
J
jmh Offline
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
J
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
'innit' seems to have taken over my household at the moment.


#18075 02/07/01 11:24 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
J
jmh Offline
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
J
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
Everybody seems to be a "wannabe" these days. There is some comfort, at least "Zig-A-Zig Ah" got left behind in the last century.


#18076 02/07/01 02:00 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 771
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 771
In reply to:

There is some comfort, at least "Zig-A-Zig Ah" got left behind in the last century.


Really? Really? Really?





#18077 02/07/01 06:13 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 544
H
addict
Offline
addict
H
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 544
Seems many of us feel that gonna/gotta/wanna are okay spoken but not so okay when written. How does this apply to "gotten?" As in "I haven't gotten sick in a long time, but now I don't feel so good."

It strikes me as a little different from the "going to" vs. "gonna" distinction, as the tense it suggests is a bit different from simply "got." But I could just say "I haven't been sick..." Anyway - whatcha think?



#18078 02/08/01 01:28 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
B
old hand
Offline
old hand
B
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
I was under the impression that "gotten" was a perfectly good word (long after being steered away from using it in school). A quick check on Webster's online lists it as "obsolescent". Hmm. I still hear it (and use it in everyday speech) a lot.


#18079 02/08/01 08:03 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289
B
veteran
Offline
veteran
B
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289
"Gotten" is perfectly normal usage in the U.S. for some purposes, as in "I've gotten a bit heavy lately." British usage, which I suppose heavily influences Canadian usage, would use "got" in such a sentence. However, we would not say, "I've gotten a little list." That would be "got", same as British.


#18080 02/08/01 10:26 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Just speculating on very little evidence because I don't use gotten at all, but for those who do use both would "I've gotten" refer to the result of a process that takes time while "I've got" would be used where the obtaining could be viewed as instantaneous?

Bingley


Bingley
#18081 02/08/01 11:22 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 544
H
addict
Offline
addict
H
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 544
Just speculating on very little evidence because I don't use gotten at all, but for those who do use both
would "I've gotten" refer to the result of a process that takes time while "I've got" would be used where
the obtaining could be viewed as instantaneous?


I would use them thusly:

"I've gotten a bit heavy" - does imply it's taken some time, but also that I ain't done fattening up

"I got a bit heavy" - could imply a sudden heaviness (after falling in the pool and soaking all my clothes, I got heavier - awkward example, but one doesn't often get heavy suddenly), but could also suggest something like "While living in Italy and eating lots of pasta and drinking lots of Chianti, I got pretty heavy, but have since slimmed down" (Note: true story)


#18082 02/08/01 11:26 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
M
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
M
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Equally unsure of source right now, Bingley, but I thought 'gotten' was the Elizabethan form, exported to Amerikay and remaining one of those distinctive time-warped features of the USA tongue.


#18083 02/08/01 11:40 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 427
addict
Offline
addict
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 427
It may be only my impression, but here is what I think:

"I've got" would normally be used in Britain both for the "becoming" meaning ("I've got a bit heavier lately"), and the plain "possession" meaning ("I've got a little list").

In the States, "I've gotten" would normally be used for the continuing meaning ("I've gotten a bit heavier lately"), but the possession meaning would be expressed without "got", simply as "I have a list" or "I don't have a list".

This is what I have surmised from listening to Brits and USns, have I got it approximately right? No idea about Canadians or other species...




Page 2 of 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,580
Members9,187
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Karin, JeffMackwood, artguitar, Jim_W, Rdbuffalo
9,187 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 332 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,713
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,931
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5