hængende

Hängende is a linguistic form found in Germanic languages, most notably German and Swedish, where it conveys the sense of something that is suspended or hanging. The word derives from verb roots meaning to hang or to suspend and functions primarily as a participle used as an adjective.

In German, hängende is the attributive form of the present participle of hängen (to hang). It is used to describe objects that are suspended, such as die hängende Lampe (the hanging lamp) or hängende Kleidung (hanging clothes). The form changes according to gender, number, and article in German noun phrases; for example der hängende Mann (the hanging man) or die hängende Tür (the hanging door). Beyond attributive use, the participle can appear in compound constructions and, less commonly, as part of phrases describing ongoing states of suspension.

In Swedish, the corresponding present participle is commonly hängande, not hängende, and is used as an adjective meaning suspended or hanging. Examples include hängande lampor (hanging lamps) and hängande kablar (hanging cables). While the Swedish form differs slightly from the German, the semantic core—describing something in a state of being suspended—remains the same.

Etymology traces to the verb hänga in Swedish and hängen in German, both of which descend from Proto-Germanic roots related to hanging or suspending. The term is primarily a grammatical and descriptive tool in everyday usage, with its exact form adapting to the syntax of each language.

See also: German adjectives and participles, Swedish present participles, Hängen (verb) in German, Hänga (verb) in Swedish.