参る

⟨mawi iru⟩ → /mawiru/ → /mairu/

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720.^[1]

Originally a compound of 參 (mawi → mai, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of Old Japanese verb 參る (mawiru → mairu), “to go, particularly to the place or person of a social superior”, humble) +‎ 入る (iru, “to enter”).^[1][2][3] Old Japanese did not allow vowel clusters, resulting in the shortening of mawi iru to mawiru.

The transitive senses are obsolete in modern Japanese.

• (Tokyo) まいる (Atamadaka – )^[3][4][5]
• IPA^(key):

参(まい)る • (mairu) ^{←まゐる (mawiru)?}transitive or intransitive godan (stem 参(まい)り (mairi), past 参(まい)った (maitta))

1. (intransitive, humble) to go

   このエレベーターは上(うえ)へ参(まい)ります。

   Kono erebētā wa ue e mairimasu.

   This lift is going up.

   では、参(まい)ります。

   Deha, mairimasu.

   Let us start.

2. (intransitive, humble) to come

   電(でん)車(しゃ)がまいります。 ― densha ga mairimasu. ― The train is arriving.

3. (intransitive) to visit (typically a place of social or spiritual importance, such as a noble's house or a shrine)

   墓(はか)に参(まい)る ― haka ni mairu ― to visit a grave

   神(じん)社(じゃ)に参(まい)る ― jinja ni mairu ― to visit a shrine

4. to be overcome, to cede to a superior person or superior circumstances (by extension from the older "go to a superior" sense)
   1. (intransitive) to lose to an opponent

      参(まい)ったな。 ― maitta na. ― You got me.

   2. (intransitive) to be bothered, overwhelmed, done in by circumstances

      暑(あつ)さに参(まい)る

      atsusa ni mairu

      to be done in by the heat

   3. (intransitive) to die
   4. (intransitive) to fall for someone romantically
5. (transitive, humble, archaic) to go to (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)
6. (transitive, humble, archaic) to serve someone in some capacity, to do something for someone
7. (transitive, humble, archaic) a 脇付 (wakizuke, “respectful title written after an addressee's name”) on the side of a formal letter

• 参(まい)らす (mairasu)

• (be bothered by circumstances): やられる (yarareru)