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I've noticed some dictionaries give two different results for the polite form
of the conditional form, I'll use the verb 戦う for example.

I am familiar with 戦いませば but not with 戦いますれば.

Some dictionaries give just one, others give both.

Is there a difference in these two in anyway?

Are both frequently used?
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2016-03-30T05:03:41.497
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2016-03-30T17:44:01.220
2016-03-30T06:43:43.317
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question
verbs classical-japanese conditionals
Two different polite forms of the conditional conjugation
Neither is common. In fact, 戦いませば and 戦いますれば are almost _never_ used in modern
Japanese. You have to use 戦いましたら.

  * I sometimes hear stereotyped samurai in samurai dramas say 戦いますれば. It's indeed "if (someone) fights" said in a polite way. It's "stereotyped samurai-ish speech", but I don't know whether old people actually talked like this. People never use it today except as a joke.
  * いませば is occasionally found in archaic Japanese documents, Bible translations, hymn books, and so on. But actually it's [在【いま】す](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E5%9C%A8%E3%81%99) followed by ば.
  * 戦いませば, ございませば, ありませば, etc. should be extremely rare, and I would say it's nearly wrong (but apparently a few people seem to use ございませば...). If used, it would leave a very literary, archaic, and/or odd impression.
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2016-03-30T10:33:47.350
33245
2016-03-30T17:44:01.220
2016-03-30T17:44:01.220
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answer