知りもせず...grammar explanation please.

[slane_cat]

Hi,
I saw this 知りもせず in a manga... I've never seen もせ at the end of a verb before. Can you explain what it means and how to use it? Or point me to some reference that will explain it please?

thanks
-s

 

[Toritoribe]

知り: the -masu stem of 知る
も: a particle
せ: 未然形 (the imperfective form/the -nai stem) of a classical verb す, which is corresponding to する in modern Japanese
ず: 連用形 (the adverbial form/the -masu stem) of a classical negative auxiliary verb ず, which is corresponding to ない in modern Japanese

Thus, it means 知りもしないで/知りさえしないで/知ることもなく even without knowing ~.

 

[slane_cat]

知り: the -masu stem of 知る
も: a particle
せ: 未然形 (the imperfective form/the -nai stem) of a classical verb す, which is corresponding to する in modern Japanese
ず: 連用形 (the adverbial form/the -masu stem) of a classical negative auxiliary verb ず, which is corresponding to ない in modern Japanese

Thus, it means 知りもしないで/知りさえしないで/知ることもなく even without knowing ~.

Oh, thanks. Hmmm... don't know anything about classical verbs Is it a bit unusual or pretentious to use them? Or is it to create some sort of nuance? The rest of the text seems to be modern Japanese.

 

[Toritoribe]

Classical Japanese still remains in modern Japanese and is relatively commonly used especially in written language, lyrics or proverbs (e.g. 振り向きもせずに、男は去った, 生きとし生ける全てのものへ, かごの中の鳥はいつ出やる, 冬来たりなば春遠からじ). You can think "the -masu stem of verb + もせず（に）" as a kind of set phrase.

 

[slane_cat]

Oh Thanks. So <Verb>もせず means without even <verb>ing? 知りもせず without even knowing, 食べもせず without even eating etc. ?

 

[Toritoribe]

Exactly.
e.g.
彼はほんとのことを知りもせず（に）いつもいい加減なことを言う。
He often says irresponsible words even without knowing the truth.
彼女は朝食を食べもせず（に）家を出た。
She left home even without eating breakfast.

Note that ～もせず can also mean "not to do and...". ず works as the continuous usage of the -masu stem of verbs in this case, and に can't be attached to it in this meaning.
e.g.
彼は3日間何も食べもせず飲みもしなかった。
He neither ate nor drank anything for three days.

 

[slane_cat]

Exactly.
e.g.
彼はほんとのことを知りもせず（に）いつもいい加減なことを言う。
He often says irresponsible words even without knowing the truth.
彼女は朝食を食べもせず（に）家を出た。
She left home even without eating breakfast.

Note that ～もせず can also mean "not to do and...". ず works as the continuous usage of the -masu stem of verbs in this case, and に can't be attached to it in this meaning.
e.g.
彼は3日間何も食べもせず飲みもしなかった。
He neither ate nor drank anything for three days.

Who says reading manga is a waste of time?
Thankyou for your help. It's great to learn something new.