What meaning does やって add to the following main verbs?


What meaning does the prefix やって give to the main verbs? Is it a constant one
can do with some other verbs as well? For example やって来る やって見る やって退ける やって行く




やって is basically just the te-form of the verb やる, which has [various
meanings](https://jisho.org/search/%E3%82%84%E3%82%8B). As @Leebo points out,
most expressions in the form `やって + another verb` can be understood using the
ordinary grammar of [subsidiary
verbs](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/18952/5010) such as (て)みる or
(て)くる.

  * やってみる: to try doing (it). See: [What is the difference between "verb＋て＋みる" and "verb＋(よ)う+とする"?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/19038/5010)
  * やっていく: to do something and go; to do something before leaving. See: [Difference between -ていく and -てくる](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/676/5010)

> 宿題をやっていく。  
>  I'll leave home after finishing my homework.

  * やってくる: to have been doing something over time; to keep doing something up until now; to do something before coming. See: [Difference between -ていく and -てくる](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/676/5010)

> この仕事を3年やってきた。  
>  I have been doing this job for 3 years.

...and so on and on. In the examples above, やって means just "to do".

However, there are a few verbs that have (additional) fixed meanings:

  * やってくる: to come along; to come all the way 

> サンタクロースが町にやってくる。  
>  Santa Claus is coming to town.

  * やってのける: to succeed in (a difficult thing)
  * やっていく: to make a living; to make ends meet

These やって are still loosely related to the original meaning of やる; for
example, I think やって in やってくる originally means "to bring/send". But it's
probably best to memorize these as special cases. Aside from them, you can use
the standard grammar to make sense of the phrase.

