駆けずり回る etymology


So I encountered the title formation in a Berserk volume. Although I can infer
it means "to run around aimlessly" through context, it is not quite obvious to
me what the "ずり” part implies or how is it constructed. I understand it uses
the negation literary particle "ず", but I don't understand why the implication
of negation (I believe the author actually wants to say he runs around
aimlessly, not negate it) and why is the り used. Is it some kind of connector?

> あっちこっちの戦場をただ駆けずり回って




I don't know for certain, but I think that this is actually not using the 〜ず
(negative) verb form at all, but actually comes from the verb 駆けづる (aka 駆けずる)
([dictionary
link](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E9%A7%86%E3%81%91%E3%81%A5%E3%82%8B))
which is a rarely-used word meaning "to run around"/"to bustle about".

As far as I can tell, nowadays this verb is mostly only used as seen here,
combined with 回る to make 駆けずり回る, which arguably seems a bit redundant, but I
suspect may originally have been done for emphasis (e.g. "to run _all over the
place_ "/"to run _around and around_ ") and then just sorta became the usual
way of saying this in general.

I'm certainly no expert, though, so would welcome any more knowledgeable
opinions.




I don't know for certain, but I think that this is actually not using the 〜ず
(negative) verb form at all, but actually comes from the verb 駆けづる (aka 駆けずる)
([dictionary
link](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E9%A7%86%E3%81%91%E3%81%A5%E3%82%8B))
which is a rarely-used word meaning "to run around"/"to bustle about".

As far as I can tell, nowadays this verb is mostly only used as seen here,
combined with 回る to make 駆けずり回る, which arguably seems a bit redundant, but I
suspect may originally have been done for emphasis (e.g. "to run _all over the
place_ "/"to run _around and around_ ") and then just sorta became the usual
way of saying this in general.

I'm certainly no expert, though, so would welcome any more knowledgeable
opinions.

