残らず, 限らず

[kachibi]

I recently came across different words that end with らず and they all mean "not something".

For example, 残らず means "no remains". And also に限らず meaning "not limited to".

Until now, I cannot find any grammar page talking about らず. But can I conclude that らず basically means "not"?

 

[ktdd]

ず is the regular negative inflecting suffix (打消の助動詞) in Classical Japanese. It is attached to the imperfective stem (未然形) of a verb (so in 残る and 限る's case, 残ら and 限ら; but する=>せ, くる=>こ, 見る=>見, 死ぬ=>死な, 呼ぶ=>呼ば and so on).

Its role is largely replaced by ない in Modern Japanese, but ず and its inflected forms ぬ、ね can still be found in fixed phrases (such as ～ねばならぬ＝～なければならない, ～ずにすむ＝～ないで済む) or elevated, archaic speech, and even everyday speech (見ず知らずの人, 思わず). The ん in すみません is derived from ぬ (the 連体形 of ず).

For more details see 助動詞の種類と機能3（打消）　和歌入門　和歌のための文語文法

 

[SoLaTiDoberman]

助動詞「ない・ぬ（ん）」をマスターしよう
（↑　古語・文語でなくて現代国語用の文法）

残らず
＝残ら（ラ行五段活用動詞「残る」の未然形）+ず（打消しの意味の助動詞「ぬ」の連用形）
=残らなくて

終止形は「残らぬ」or「残らない」

限らず
＝限ら（ラ行五段活用動詞「限る」の未然形）+ず（打消しの意味の助動詞「ぬ」の連用形）
＝限らなくて

終止形は「限らぬ」or「限らない」