Is there a pattern for ず negatives?


I'm thinking of a particular word, 足らず, which I have audio of here,
<https://no.forvo.com/word/%E8%B6%B3%E3%82%89%E3%81%9A/#ja>

I'm thinking it's 足らず{HLL}. Is there a pattern to how the pitches of ず
negative verbs are, or must they simply be remembered?




There is a pattern for 〜ず verbs, which is that they normally follow the accent
of the base verb:

**Accented base → Accent on mora before ず  
Heiban base → Heiban**

  * できる{LHL}→できず{LHL}
  * はなす{LHL}→はなさず{LHHL}
  * きく{LH}→きかず{LHH}
  * いう{LH}→いわず{LHH}
  * ...the majority of verbs follow this pattern

* * *

However, there are some exceptions:

  * おもわず{LHLL} is the traditional accent as a standalone adverb (and is still most common but おもわず{LHHL} is also heard), while おもわず{LHHL} is more common when it's the full verb, IMO
  * あらず{HLL}
  * おらず{HLL} (おらず{LHL} is also heard)
  * たえず{HLL}
  * とわず{HLL} (とわず{LHL} is also heard)
  * ならず{HLL}
  * べからず{LHLL}
  * You occasionally hear のこらず{LHLL}, but のこらず{LHHL} is more common these days
  * いわずとも{LHLL} (as opposed to heiban -- only when used with とも)

As for why these exist, I believe that having the accent _two_ mora before ず
is the traditional accent for this conjugation, and as a result you can still
see it fossilized in certain adverbs and other words that feel like they have
a distinct meaning (i.e., distinct entry in the speakers lexicon) beyond just
a generic ~ず conjugation. But occasionally speakers may choose to just say the
more regular/modern "one mora before ず" accent even for these lexicalized
items.

* * *

Then, there are cases where a 〜ず-inflected verb compounds with a noun and as
as a result gets a compound noun accent:

  * はじしらず{LHHLL}
  * いのちしらず {LHHHLL}
  * おやしらず {LHHLL}
  * やくたたず{LHHLL}

But there are cases where you might think it should get such a noun compound
accent but doesn't (i.e. is not thought of as noun compounding):

  * むこうみず{LHLLL}
  * われしらず{HLLLL}

In the case of 足らず, as a normal conjugation it would be たらず{LHH} (e.g.,
恐るるに足らず), but this is often commonly seen in noun compounds like したたらず{LHHLL},
じたらず{LHLL}, すんたらず{HHHLL}, [amount]たらず{HLL}.




There is a pattern for 〜ず verbs, which is that they normally follow the accent
of the base verb:

**Accented base → Accent on mora before ず  
Heiban base → Heiban**

  * できる{LHL}→できず{LHL}
  * はなす{LHL}→はなさず{LHHL}
  * きく{LH}→きかず{LHH}
  * いう{LH}→いわず{LHH}
  * ...the majority of verbs follow this pattern

* * *

However, there are some exceptions:

  * おもわず{LHLL} is the traditional accent as a standalone adverb (and is still most common but おもわず{LHHL} is also heard), while おもわず{LHHL} is more common when it's the full verb, IMO
  * あらず{HLL}
  * おらず{HLL} (おらず{LHL} is also heard)
  * たえず{HLL}
  * とわず{HLL} (とわず{LHL} is also heard)
  * ならず{HLL}
  * べからず{LHLL}
  * You occasionally hear のこらず{LHLL}, but のこらず{LHHL} is more common these days
  * いわずとも{LHLL} (as opposed to heiban -- only when used with とも)

As for why these exist, I believe that having the accent _two_ mora before ず
is the traditional accent for this conjugation, and as a result you can still
see it fossilized in certain adverbs and other words that feel like they have
a distinct meaning (i.e., distinct entry in the speakers lexicon) beyond just
a generic ~ず conjugation. But occasionally speakers may choose to just say the
more regular/modern "one mora before ず" accent even for these lexicalized
items.

* * *

Then, there are cases where a 〜ず-inflected verb compounds with a noun and as
as a result gets a compound noun accent:

  * はじしらず{LHHLL}
  * いのちしらず {LHHHLL}
  * おやしらず {LHHLL}
  * やくたたず{LHHLL}

But there are cases where you might think it should get such a noun compound
accent but doesn't (i.e. is not thought of as noun compounding):

  * むこうみず{LHLLL}
  * われしらず{HLLLL}

In the case of 足らず, as a normal conjugation it would be たらず{LHH} (e.g.,
恐るるに足らず), but this is often commonly seen in noun compounds like したたらず{LHHLL},
じたらず{LHLL}, すんたらず{HHHLL}, [amount]たらず{HLL}.

