also: ゆきがかり
circumstances; the way things have developed
Refers to a situation one is caught up in, often implying that events have led unavoidably to the current state. Commonly used in the phrase 行きがかり上 (いきがかりじょう), meaning 'given the circumstances' or 'as things have turned out'.
Given the circumstances, I had no choice but to accept his proposal.
As things turned out, I ended up joining the project.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
Alternate reading ゆきがかり; less common than いきがかり.
Alternate kanji form using 掛.
Less common variant with 掛り.
Compound of 行き (iki, 'going', continuative form of 行く) + 掛かり (kakari, 'being in the middle of', continuative form of 掛かる). Literally 'in the middle of going', it developed the sense of being caught up in a course of events.