Structure
Verb［ない］+ ぬ
Verb［ない］+ ぬ + Noun
Exceptions:
する ￫ せぬ
くる ￫ こぬ
いる ￫ おらぬ
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Standard
About ぬ
ぬ is the attributive form of ず, a classical auxiliary verb that is used for negation like ない, and connects to verbs in the same way.
As ぬ is the attributive form of ず, it may be seen modifying nouns that directly follow it. However, this use is not common in modern times, and in many cases it will be used as part of set expressions that have not changed in the time since ない became the far more widely used structure for negation. Alternatively, it may just be used for artistic expression, or to make a character seem 'classical'.
In the case that the verb being negated is いる, the old fashion おる will be modified to おらぬ instead.
Alternatively, する will be negated as せぬ, and くる will be negated as こぬ. This is consistent with the standard conjugation patterns seen with the use of ず.
Examples
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「愚か者、男には殺せぬのだ。」
'Fool, no man can kill me.'
こちらでは性による差別は許可されておらぬ。
Sex discrimination is not permitted here.
ペーネロペー：「オデュッセウスはまだ戻ってこぬのか？」
Penelope: 'Odysseus has not returned yet?'
「隅に置けぬ人」というのは「侮れない人」ということなのだ。
'A person who (can't be placed) in a corner' means 'a person who cannot be taken lightly'.
上司は部下が向上できるように、至らぬ点を教えてあげるべきだ。
A superior should tell his/her subordinates where they fall short so that they can improve.
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ぬ – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (5 in total)
s1212z
There are ~12 V-ず grammar points right now and most are adverbial v-ずに while ぬ is a modifier as an archaic ない. I didn’t see anything that was interchangeable between these two, was there a specific usage that hasn’t been covered yet for ず?
Ambo100
ずに looks like the most relevant one I think, I’ll have a look at that.
airbus29
it would be cool if in the description for this grammar point, it clarified that the いる→おらぬ for this conjugation also applied to verbs in their ている form (like されている → されておらぬ). its not just for いる by itself, although it may naturally be implied for a lot of people, i didn’t pick up on it from the written description lol
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