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The [Japanese Wikipedia
notes](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%88%E7%95%A5%E4%BB%AE%E5%90%8D)
that before 1900, the kana sequence まいらせさうらふ ( _mairasesōrō_ ) had its own
kana ligature:

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

Poking around
[Wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%8F%82%E3%82%89%E3%81%99#Japanese),
my best guess would be that this is a set phrase in archaic _keigo_ , but
**what exactly does this mean, and why was it apparently so common that it
needed its own dedicated shorthand?**

For comparison, almost all other ligatures were only two kana long and
obviously common words ( _koto, yori, sama_ etc).
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question
meaning classical-japanese obsolete-kana
Why did "mairasesoro" (まいらせさうらふ/まいらせ候) have its own kana ligature?
Yes, まいらせそうろう (in its most traditional spelling まゐらせさうらふ) was a high frequency
humble marker in the once standard style for written communication called
[候文【そうろうぶん】](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%80%99%E6%96%87), which is based
on the colloquial language in circa 12th century. Hiragana ligatures you see
on your Wikipedia article represent common words and phrases utilized in the
times 候文 and the cursive script (崩し字) were prevalent.

Under the style of 候文,
[そうろう](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E5%80%99%E3%81%B5_%28%E3%81%9D%E3%81%86%E3%82%8D%E3%81%86%29/)
(as such a humble marker) is bleached of its original meaning and only
functions as the copula / main verb marker that symbolizes the style.
[まいらす](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E5%8F%82%E3%82%89%E3%81%99/), being
the origin of today's polite marker ます, means from the most literal "offer" (=
差し上げる) to a general humble marker then to a simply politer marker (heavily
used by women).

You can find some [usage](https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/885481/18) from
the ligature's article, which reads:

> 一筆示し［まいらせ候］ = 一筆お示し（いたします／申し上げます）  
>  I will (humbly) write you a letter

> 指のみ折り暮らし［まいらせ候］ = 指ばかり折って暮らしております  
>  I am spending days only counting on my fingers
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answer