Forgotten
/fərˈɡɑːtən/noun
No longer remembered or retained in the mind.
Did you know?The word combines an intensifying prefix with an ancient verb meaning “to get” or “grasp,” suggesting that a forgotten thing has slipped completely beyond your hold.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰedʰ-
“To seize, grasp, or take; a reconstructed root associated with obtaining something.”
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*getaną
“To get, obtain, or acquire.”
Old English
Old English
forġietan
“To forget or lose from memory; literally formed with for- plus a verb related to “get.””
Middle English
Middle English
foryeten / forgeten
“To forget; the spelling and pronunciation shifted during the transition from Old English.”
Modern English
English
forgotten
“The past participle of forget, meaning no longer remembered or recalled.”