A man was hung or hanged?

[genypha]

Don't know if I'm in the right 'forum' but would like any input. I am sure that the correct grammar is 'hanged'? A picture is or was 'hung' but a man was hanged? This is just to settle an argument with a friend of mine! BTW I'm from England if that makes any difference - maybe Americans think 'hung' is correct?

[grasscarp]

this was all aired extensively on here before

[genypha]

.... example .... he was hanged by the neck but hung for several minutes until he died?

[grasscarp]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Phrases-and-Say ings/Question620733.html

[genypha]

.. example .... he was hanged by the neck, but hung for several minutes before he died?

[jno]

you're right. As people aren't hanged much any more (the Americans mostly use other methods) it may be that 'hanged' just falls out of use and 'hung' is used in all cases; languages change like that.

[padanarm]

From Penguin Usage and Abusage (1999):

hanged is used of capital punishment only 'He was hanged' not hung 'yesterday'; 'The executioner hanged the criminal'.

Hung, preterite and past participle, is applied to things, as in 'The picture was hung too low', and 'I hung the picture as high as I could.'

[genypha]

thank you for your input - and I'm sorry, grasscarp, I hadn't realised it had been asked previously