Why is it hanged and not hung? Does anyone know?

[Moln]

Can anyone explain why it is hanged and not hung that is the past tense of hung when referring to being put to death by hanging.

The best explanation I can find when trying to answer this myself was that "people are hanged, things are hung". Which is fine but I want to know why!

You might want to have a peep at People are hanged not hung and Hung or hanged? I'm not sure either exactly answers your question, but I think you might enjoy them.

Thanks.

Intereting threads there. So two theories I have come across are:

1. Hung is a continous past and hanged is one that will end

2. Anglo-saxon language is distinctive and so had different word for present and past (ie dream and dreamt) but langue evolves and with hang, the use of hanged became acceptable. There was then a distinction between the two, because one involes execution, and so hanged become to mean just this