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I had always thought that the phrase `お高くとまる` consisted of the adverbial `お高く`
combined with the verb `とまる`. I never actually paid much attention to the
literal meaning since it is obviously a figurative phrase (meaning 'to assume
an air of importance'). However, I noticed in a dictionary that the `と` might
actually be an adverbial `と` rather than being part of the verb. See below:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XHIxi.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XHIxi.jpg)

In the 例文 example, it is written in katakana as `ト`, presumably to
differentiate it from `まる`. So I searched for the verb `まる` (lemma) but I
could only find one instance:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JxxAE.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JxxAE.jpg)

The doesn't seem to make sense in the context unless the meaning is derived
from something like "to excrete from a high place" or something like that.
Maybe that's possible?

So is it `とまる` (one word) or is it `～（と）まる` (particle plus verb)?
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2019-07-08T14:40:51.303
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2019-07-08T16:50:51.623
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question
particles idioms
What is the correct parsing of お高くとまる?
I'm curious which dictionary you used to find that odd kana-ization?

Searching for the kana string おたかくとまる over on
[Kotobank](https://kotobank.jp/), a decent online dictionary aggregator
sourcing from reputable native-language Japanese dictionaries, gives us
[several relevant
pages](https://kotobank.jp/gs/?q=%E3%81%8A%E3%81%9F%E3%81%8B%E3%81%8F%E3%81%A8%E3%81%BE%E3%82%8B).
The [Nihon Kokugo Dai Jiten entry for the 御高くとまる
spelling](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%BE%A1%E9%AB%98%E3%81%A8%E3%81%BE%E3%82%8B-2016506)
includes the following sample sentence from the 1898 novel 恋慕【れんぼ】ながし by
小【お】栗【ぐり】風【ふう】葉【よう】:

> 悪【わる】くお高【たか】くばかり留【とま】ってゐりやがって

We also find [an entry in the same dictionary for
高【たかく】止【と】まる](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E9%AB%98%E6%AD%A2%E3%81%BE%E3%82%8B-2058785),
with alternative older Western-influenced reading たこうとまる, and a quote from the
1686 work 好【こう】色【しょく】一【いち】代【だい】女【おんな】:

> 高【たか】ふとまって鶏【けい】鳴【めい】別【わか】れにも客【きゃく】ををくらず

Then in [the Daijirin entry for
止まる・留まる・止る・留る・停まる](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%AD%A2%E3%81%BE%E3%82%8B%E3%83%BB%E7%95%99%E3%81%BE%E3%82%8B%E3%83%BB%E6%AD%A2%E3%82%8B%E3%83%BB%E7%95%99%E3%82%8B%E3%83%BB%E5%81%9C%E3%81%BE%E3%82%8B-343205)
(all various spellings of とまる), we see a note at the bottom of the entry:

> **［慣用］** お高く－ ・ 御【お】目【め】に－ ／目にも留まらぬ

We have multiple entries in at least two different dictionaries from separate
publishers, all indicating that the とまる is the verb, and not adverbial と +
some other verb まる. So ultimately, I think the online dictionary you
referenced has a typo.

**PS:** Grammatically, adverbial と after an adjective in the adverbial ～く form
would be very odd. That said, language is a human affair and thus inevitably
messy and full of oddness, so it's best to check. :)
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answer