hängen

== German == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈhɛŋən/, [ˈhɛŋən], [ˈhɛŋŋ̩] Hyphenation: hän‧gen Rhymes: -ɛŋən === Etymology 1 === From a conflation of three interrelated verbs all originally meaning “to hang”, but varying in their transitivity and intransitivity: 1.) Middle High German hāhen (transitive and intransitive), from Old High German hāhan (chiefly transitive [sic]), a strong verb with past forms hieng, gehangan, from Proto-West Germanic *hą̄han, from Proto-Germanic *hanhaną (intransitive). 2.) Middle High German hangen, from Old High German hangēn (both intransitive). 3.) Middle High German hengen (“to hang, to dangle, to let go, to allow”), from Old High German hengen (“idem”), from Proto-West Germanic *hangijan, from Proto-Germanic *hangijaną (“to hang”, transitive). Because of various interferences in the inflected forms, due to grammatischer Wechsel, umlaut and Rückumlaut, these three verbs were bound to be intermingled. Verbs 1 and 2 were merged in such a way that the present stem hang- was combined with the strong past forms of hāhen. This development is first attested in the north and seems to have spread from Middle Low German hangen to Central German dialects of Middle High German (14th century). The transitive verb 3 (hängen) was kept separate into the 20th century, at least by prescription, but the present stem is now häng- for all uses. The split is upheld in the past forms, but is not consistently followed outside of formal contexts. Cognate to Dutch hangen, English hang. ==== Alternative forms ==== hangen (generally archaic, but still sometimes found in the South) ==== Verb ==== hängen (class 7 strong or irregular strong, third-person singular present hängt, past tense hing or (nonstandard) hang, past participle gehangen, auxiliary haben or sein) (intransitive) to hang, to be suspended [with an (+ dative) ‘on something’] Synonym: baumeln (intransitive, figurative) to be attached to; to be fond of; to be devoted to; to cling to [with an (+ dative) ‘someone’] (intransitive, figurative, somewhat informal) to depend [with an (+ dative) ‘on something’] Synonym: abhängen (transitive, colloquial, otherwise proscribed) to hang, to suspend [with accusative ‘something’ and an (+ accusative) ‘on(to) something’] ===== Usage notes ===== The most frequent auxiliary with hängen (past participle gehangen) is haben: Der Apfel hat am Baum gehangen. In northern and central Germany, only this form is used. In southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, sein is common in the vernacular and also, alternatively, in standard usage: Der Apfel ist am Baum gehangen. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Derived terms ===== Hänger ===== Related terms ===== Hängen abhängen, durchhängen, festhängen, nachhängen, herumhängen, rumhängen, zusammenhängen === Etymology 2 === From Middle High German hengen, that is “verb 3” in etymology 1. See above. ==== Verb ==== hängen (weak, third-person singular present hängt, past tense hängte, past participle gehängt, auxiliary haben) (transitive) to hang, to suspend [with accusative ‘something’ and an (+ accusative) ‘on(to) something’] Antonym: abhängen (transitive) to hang, to execute by hanging Synonym: (dated) henken (reflexive, figurative) to hang on to; to follow [with an (+ accusative) ‘someone’] ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Derived terms ===== Hänger behängen, erhängen, verhängen ===== Related terms ===== Hängen hängend abhängen, anhängen, aufhängen, heraushängen, herabhängen hängenbleiben, hängenlassen === Further reading === “hängen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache “hängen” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961. “hängen” in Duden online “hängen” in OpenThesaurus.de == Low German == === Etymology === From Middle Low German hengen, from Old Saxon hengian, from Proto-West Germanic *hangijan. See also hangen. === Verb === hängen (third-person singular simple present hängt, past tense häng, past participle hängt, auxiliary verb hebben) (transitive) to hang (something); to suspend (transitive) to hang (someone), e.g. for a crime (reflexive, with “an ...”) to hang on (to something) (intransitive) to hang; to be suspended (hangen is usually preferred in this sense) (intransitive) to stick; to cling (hangen is usually preferred in this sense) (intransitive, figuratively, with an) to be fond of, to feel strongly about (hangen is usually preferred in this sense) ==== Usage notes ==== Hängen has a doublet with nearly the same meaning and usage, hangen. However, hängen is usually preferred in its transitive meaning, while hangen is more commonly used as an intransitive verb. The strong preterite forms ik hung, du hungst, he hung, ... are sometimes found instead of the normal weak forms ik häng, du hängst, he häng, ... due to confusion with hangen. ==== Conjugation ====