What is the difference between [担]{にな}う and [担]{かつ}ぐ?


[This
page](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/thsrs/1281/meaning/m0u/%E6%8B%85%E3%81%86/)
is supposed to disambiguate the two words but I am at loss to perceive the
difference:

> 1.「担ぐ」は、物を肩にのせる意。
>
> 2.「担う」は、物を肩にかけて運ぶ意。

In particular, I don't really know how to understand properly the difference
between 肩に載せる and 肩にかける. Up to my understanding, the former would have the
sense of "to put on one's shoulder and the thing that is shouldered is in
major part above the shoulder" like in 神輿｛みこし｝を担ぐ, the later would have the
meaning of "to put on one's shoulder and the thing that is shouldered is in
major part below the shoulder". In this sense I have the feeling that かける
could be cognate with ぶらさげる.

Is this correct or are there other nuances that I did not catch?




I think the difference between 肩に乗せる and 肩にかける is trivial, and does not help
understand the difference between 担ぐ and 担う.

What's more important is the following sentence:

> （「担う」は）下から **支える** 意味合いが強く、通常は「次代をになう」「責任をになう」のように、
> **物事を支えるという抽象的な意味で用いられる** ことが多い。

担【かつ】ぐ and 担【にな】う both means _to carry_ , but the latter is almost always used
metaphorically today (役割を担う, ～の機能を担う, ～という意味を担う, etc). I checked the first 200
hits of 担う in BCCWJ, and none of them meant to physically carry something on
one's shoulder or back. goo辞書 seems to have [some
examples](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/167677/example/m0u/) of 担う used in
the physical sense, but they are from old novels.

On the other hand, 担ぐ is used both physically and metaphorically today. The
most important metaphorical usage of 担ぐ is _to flatter_ someone.




I think the difference between 肩に乗せる and 肩にかける is trivial, and does not help
understand the difference between 担ぐ and 担う.

What's more important is the following sentence:

> （「担う」は）下から **支える** 意味合いが強く、通常は「次代をになう」「責任をになう」のように、
> **物事を支えるという抽象的な意味で用いられる** ことが多い。

担【かつ】ぐ and 担【にな】う both means _to carry_ , but the latter is almost always used
metaphorically today (役割を担う, ～の機能を担う, ～という意味を担う, etc). I checked the first 200
hits of 担う in BCCWJ, and none of them meant to physically carry something on
one's shoulder or back. goo辞書 seems to have [some
examples](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/167677/example/m0u/) of 担う used in
the physical sense, but they are from old novels.

On the other hand, 担ぐ is used both physically and metaphorically today. The
most important metaphorical usage of 担ぐ is _to flatter_ someone.

