taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
gasping; breathless; faintly breathing
Literary or classical word describing weak, labored breathing, often in a state of near-death or extreme exhaustion. Commonly appears in the set phrase 気息奄奄 (きそくえんえん).
See also: 気息奄々
He was gasping faintly, as if his breath might stop at any moment.
Literary kanji form; the repetition mark variant 奄々 is also used. Both are rare and mainly found in classical or formal written contexts.
Variant using the repetition mark 々 instead of the second kanji. Same reading and meaning as 奄奄.
The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 奄 means 'cover' or 'feeble,' and the reduplicated form 奄奄 is a literary Chinese-derived expression for weak, gasping breath.