The direction of くれる and あげる: Is 「彼はこじきに一番よい上着をくれてやった。」 a wrong usage?


I've always understood the direction of くれる as such:

> Outsider ⇒くれる⇒ Me / In-group

and あげる as:

> Me / In-group ⇒あげる⇒ Outsider

I was told this direction marks your feeling towards a person as well, so if I
were to say:

> お隣さんはオヤジにお土産をあげた。

Here using あげる instead of くれる strongly implies that something is wrong with
the relationship between you and your old man.

Yet, くれる is used in a sample sentence from a dictionary (研究社):

> 彼はこじきに一番よい上着をくれてやった。

Why does the dictionary use くれる when 彼 is the giver and こじき is the receiver?
Is this usage expressing sympathy towards the beggar, or does what follows
(てやる) has more to do with it than direction?




「くれてやる」 is an _**arrogant**_ way of saying 「与{あた}える」("to give"). Person A is
giving something to another person whom Person A considers to be lower in
status than him/herself.

In other words, 「くれてやる」 roughly has the same meaning as 「あげる/やる」 and _**not**_
「くれる」. I know it is confusing, but it just needs to be remembered as a set
phrase.

Thus, in the sentence:

> 「彼{かれ}はこじきに一番{いちばん}よい上着{うわぎ}をくれてやった。」
>
> "He gave the beggar his best jacket."

the speaker is in the same in-group as 「彼」 and the speaker is being arrogant
in using 「くれてやった」 ("gave"). The speaker clearly feels that both s/he and 彼 are
higher in status than the beggar.

Therefore, the usage of 「くれてやる」 here is completely correct as long as the
speaker feels s/he is superior.




「くれてやる」 is an _**arrogant**_ way of saying 「与{あた}える」("to give"). Person A is
giving something to another person whom Person A considers to be lower in
status than him/herself.

In other words, 「くれてやる」 roughly has the same meaning as 「あげる/やる」 and _**not**_
「くれる」. I know it is confusing, but it just needs to be remembered as a set
phrase.

Thus, in the sentence:

> 「彼{かれ}はこじきに一番{いちばん}よい上着{うわぎ}をくれてやった。」
>
> "He gave the beggar his best jacket."

the speaker is in the same in-group as 「彼」 and the speaker is being arrogant
in using 「くれてやった」 ("gave"). The speaker clearly feels that both s/he and 彼 are
higher in status than the beggar.

Therefore, the usage of 「くれてやる」 here is completely correct as long as the
speaker feels s/he is superior.

