also: たもう
yodan verb with 'hu/fu' ending (archaic), transitive verb
Archaic honorific verb used when a superior gives something to a lower person. The classical form is たまう (yodan), later shifting to たもう. Often appears in classical literature and historical texts.
帝、大臣に衣を給ふ。
The emperor gives a robe to the minister.
「源氏物語」には「給ふ」が頻繁に使はれてゐる。
In 'The Tale of Genji', '給ふ' is used frequently.
nidan verb (lower class) with 'hu/fu' ending (archaic), transitive verb
Archaic humble verb used when the speaker receives something from a superior. This sense uses the nidan conjugation (下二段) and is distinct from the honorific 'to give'. Rare and found mainly in classical texts.
主上より御書を給ふ。
I humbly receive a letter from His Majesty.
古典では、謙譲の「給ふ」
In classical Japanese, the humble '給ふ' conjugates as a lower bigrade verb.
Derived from classical Japanese verb たまふ (tamafu), a combination of たま (tama, 'soul' or 'gift') and ふ (fu, auxiliary verb). The honorific sense developed from the idea of a superior bestowing something, while the humble sense arose from the receiver's perspective. The historical spelling 給ふ reflects the classical kana usage.