Could someone explain the word 寄せる?

[matt9210]

Hi everyone,
This is a word I'm struggling to find a good definition and examples for. Online dictionaries say it means one thing, then in example sentences I'm seeing completely different translations.

I'm also wondering what a good way of remembering it is when it's attached to the stem of other verbs? For example, 吹き寄せる. I often see 寄る・寄せる attached to a verb stem.

Thanks!

 

[Mike Cash]

It is a transitive verb meaning to move something near, next to, alongside, etc. something else. The intensive verb is 寄る.

The compound verb you mention would be to put something near, next to, alongside, etc something else by meant of blowing it there.

 

[Toritoribe]

The dictionaries that give only one definition are simply not decent.
寄せるの英語・英訳 - goo辞書 英和和英
寄せるの英語・英訳 - 英和辞典・和英辞典 Weblio辞書

寄せる can be intransitive, but the same meaning is also applied.
e.g.
波が岸壁に寄せては返す。
観客が舞台に押し寄せた。

The point is that 寄せる can't be used for the speaker's own movement both as transitive and intransitive (except reflexive usages such like 父母のもとに身を寄せた).
As for the usage as a second compound verb (後項動詞), both －寄る and －寄せる are mostly attached to specific first compound verbs(前項動詞).
e.g.(these are all intransitive)
○打ち寄せる
×打ち寄る
○吹き寄せる
×吹き寄る
×立ち寄せる
○立ち寄る
×駆け寄せる
○駆け寄る

The only exception I can think of now is "攻め寄せる - 攻め寄る". From all these examples above, it seems to me that the difference is from the position of the speaker's viewpoint. The viewpoint is on the agent of the action for 寄る, and it's on the target of the action for 寄せる, just in my impression.

 

[johnnyG]

Only a side note: 寄り切り has probably been a little more commonly uttered this week and last...!