'forgotten' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'forgietan,' where 'for-' meant 'away, opposite' and 'gietan' meant 'to grasp or get.'

'forgietan' transformed into the Middle English word 'forgeten,' and eventually became the modern English word 'forget.'

Initially, it meant 'to lose the memory of something,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.