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Grammar detail: archaic / classical / historical forms

archaic / classical / historical forms
142 words
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Japanese is an evolving language, and you will regularly encounter many forms that are no longer in common use. Sometimes they are used in a modern context to evoke a sense of history (as Latin might be quoted in modern English), and sometimes they are used for period authenticity, such as in modern samurai dramas or
じだいしょうせつ
時代小説
(period novels).
〜まする
The modern ます form actually descended from a slightly longer form, まする, which fell out of use about 100 years ago.
negative forms
Several negative forms have fallen out of use entirely or evolved.
せよ
き and し forms of い adjectives
が classical possive
archaic verb forms
There are several additional archaic verb forms, most of which have evolved into one of the modern forms. Occasionally you will encounter archaic forms preserved in popular quotations.
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Kanji used in this grammar

ジ   とき time, occasion   
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タイ   ダイ   かえる to replace, to exchange   かわる to be exchanged   よ the world   しろ substitute   
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ショウ   こ-    お-    ちいさい small   
セツ   ゼイ   と to explain, persuade   
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