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> 独特の臭いだな。鼻の奥まで染みこんで **くる** ぞ。
>
> 穴から水が溢れて **くる**
>
> 水槽に手を入れると舐め回して **くる** 人なつっこいホトケドジョウ

てくる is something I've never really seen a clear and comprehensive explanation
of the different uses and what they mean. They all just focus on the
difference between the meanings and not going into depth about them.

Taking <http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/64270/meaning/m1u/%E3%81%8F%E3%82%8B/>
definitions

1) 少しずつ移行したり、程度が進んだりして、しだいにその状態になる  
Indicates gradual change  
e.g. 最近太ってきた

2) ある動作・状態が前から続いている  
A certain action or situation has continued from the past  
e.g. 俺はこの国を守ってきた

3) ある動作をしてもとに戻る。…しに行って帰る  
To do something and return  
e.g. ちょっとビール買ってくる

4) ある動作・状態をそのまま続けながら、こちらへ近づく  
To describe a motion coming towards the speaker.  
e.g. 先生が歩いてくる

In the examples above what 'meaning' does くる represent?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-17T15:52:29.113
33624
2016-04-17T20:41:28.777
2016-04-17T16:37:03.677
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question
grammar meaning て-form
Meaning of くる in 鼻の奥まで染みこんでくる
Please read this question first: [Difference between -ていく and
-てくる](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/676/5010)

Particularly, Flaw's answer there is the most relevant. Your example sentences
all correspond to the definition **「4) こちらへ近づく」** , but note that this 近づく
does not always refer to the _physical_ movement of something. Very
frequently, this くる is used when something is moving toward the speaker
_psychologically_.

In your examples, we can probably say the 臭い and the 水 are actually coming to
the speaker physically, but the more important implication is "the 臭い/水 is
going to involve me." In the ホトケドジョウ's example, its physical movement is not
necessarily important, but "the ホトケドジョウ is going to interact with me" is the
important nuance of that くる.

To take another example, 友達が私に話しかけて来た is a common expression, and this can be
used even when the friend had been next to the speaker for an hour. On the
other hand, 友達が私に話しかけた would usually sound unnatural because it sounds as if
the speaker were impersonally describing someone else's affairs.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-17T20:41:28.777
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2016-04-17T20:41:28.777
2017-04-13T12:43:44.740
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answer