ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Akasztott Ember

Imagine you are playing a game of "hangman" with someone. In this game, you have to guess a secret word by guessing different letters. But in the case of "akasztott ember," or "hangman" in Hungarian, things are a little different, and it can become a very serious matter.

You see, the phrase "akasztott ember" literally means "hanged person" in Hungarian. It refers to a form of punishment called hanging, where a person is tied up with a rope around their neck and then lifted off the ground, causing them to lose their life. This form of punishment has been used in various cultures throughout history, but it is generally seen as a very severe and final punishment.

Now, the game "akasztott ember" doesn't actually involve someone physically getting hurt or losing their life, but it does use the concept of hanging as a way to create a challenging puzzle. In this game, one person thinks of a secret word and draws a series of blanks on a piece of paper, one for each letter in the word. The other person then tries to guess the letters of the word one by one.

Each time the guesser suggests a letter, the person who chose the word will either fill in the blanks with that letter if it appears in the word or add a component to a drawing of a person being hanged if it doesn't. The drawing usually starts with just a head, body, and limbs, but as wrong letters are guessed, additional body parts like arms, legs, and eventually the head being hanged are added.

The goal of the game is for the guesser to correctly guess all the letters in the secret word before the drawing of the hanged person is completed. If they succeed, they win the game, and if the hanged person's drawing is completed before all the letters are guessed, they lose.

Now, it is important to remember that this game is only a pretend and playful representation of something that was a serious and sad punishment in real life. It is used as a way to challenge our thinking and have fun with words, while also teaching us about the seriousness of certain actions and consequences. So, in the game of "akasztott ember," we can enjoy the challenge and excitement while also understanding and respecting the history and significance behind it.