Got vs Gotten
Got and Gotten are often considered to be synonyms in British English & American English. However, this is not so.
Gotten is one of two possible past participles of the verb, get in American English:
Origin
Gotten has been in use since the 4th century and was still in use by Shakespeare, for example in Richard III he writes:
To look upon my sometimes royal master's face.
When America was colonised, speakers of English in both the old country and the new country all used gotten. However, over time in Britain the original past participle faded away and was simply replaced by got.
Compare this to the way in which forget has not changed in British English:
Usage
In American English, both got and gotten are used as a past participle. However, there is a distinct difference between them.
Got is used to show ownership:
Gotten is used to show acquisition, development or movement:
Gotten, then, has a more dynamic sense whilst got is static. However, some American commentators regard all use of gotten as vulgar.
