Hang/hung

[Joel S. Berson]

My understanding of the presciptivist position, and the one I and
Revere's 1798 report to the Corresponding Secretary of the
Massachusetts Historical Society of his ride follow, is exemplified
by the following:

Mark was hanged at the gallows on Cambridge Common* for his
crime.  After he was declared dead, his body was taken from the
gallows to Charlestown, where it was hung in chains for several years.

However, I don't find any such prescription in the OED.

* Not at Boston (Suffolk County), because Charlestown, where the
murder was committed, was in Middlesex County.

But, of course:

Mark was not left hanging on the gallows for long, but quickly taken
to Charlestown, where his body was left hanging in chains for several years.

Joel

At 2/21/2012 06:05 PM, Baker, John wrote:
>Paul Revere referred to a certain point as "where Mark was hung in
>chains," so I followed his usage.  Mark (a slave who killed his
>master) was not hung in chains until after his execution.
>
>Online searches show that "was hung in chains" and "was hanged in
>chains" are about equally common (Google prefers one, Bing the
>other).  Since executed criminals no longer are hung in chains, many
>of the examples are from older writings and do not reflect current usage.
>
>
>John Baker
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
>Behalf Of Victor Steinbok
>Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 5:36 PM
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Re: A mere legality
>
>This is an interesting disagreement--I thought "hanged" was about
>executions, at least, more so than about humans. Although there is the
>"well hung" interference--no, I don't mean a body suspended in a well.
>
>      VS-)
>
>On 2/21/2012 4:58 PM, Hunter, Lynne R CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-PACIFIC, 71700
>wrote:
> > Aren't we saying "hanged" anymore (that is, in speaking of hanging by
> > the neck, not suspension of the entire body)? Just asking. (I thought
> > "hung" meant something else when applied to humans, although at this
> > stage I only faintly remember.)
>
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