掲示板 Forums - 寿く versus 寿ぐ

I’m trying to figure out what, if anything, is the difference between 寿く/ことぶく “congratulate” and 寿ぐ/ことほぐ “congratulate.” I wonder if they are just two different pronunciations of the same word, or if there is a subtle distinction in meaning. Does anyone know?

For reference, this is what Kotobank has:

こと‐ぶ・く【^▽寿く】

［動カ五（四）］《「ことほぐ」の音変化》喜びを言う。祝う。
「安らけく治まる御代の太平を―・いてましたが」〈魯庵・社会百面相〉

こと‐ほ・ぐ【^▽寿ぐ／言^▽祝ぐ】

［動ガ五（四）］《上代は「ことほく」》喜びや祝いの言葉を述べる。言葉で祝賀する。「古希を―・ぐ」

祝ぐ/ほぐ isn’t in the dictionary, but 言祝ぐ/ことほぐ is. There is also an entry for 祝/はふり “junior priest.”