Contracted verb: Negative, positive, which one is it and why?


![contraction](https://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/TarkanKurt1/neg%20contract_zpsuxyka9g4.jpg)

I've encountered the negative contraction several times since I started to
study japanese, and I understand the logic behind the transformation from
開かない/開かぬ to 開かん in the first picture.

A similar transformation seems to occur in the following two sentences, とならん
and ならん. However, when I check the translation the form of the verbs are
positive.

There is something I'm missing and I can't find the key to know the difference
between this similar sounding contractions.




「ならん」has two distinct meanings. The current common meaning is an abbreviation
of ならない・ならぬ with an emphatic nuance. The other is an abbreviation of
「[ならむ](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/165308/meaning/m0u/)」which is an
obsolete equivalent to だろう・であろう - now mostly found in 時代劇。(Your example is the
latter - ならむ)

「あらん」is used in
[religious](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1052862080)
and other [profound
circumstances](http://ejje.weblio.jp/content/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9%E3%81%A8%E5%85%B1%E3%81%AB%E3%81%82%E3%82%89%E3%82%93%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%82%92)
to pray/wish for something good. Also more likely to find あらん in 時代劇




「ならん」has two distinct meanings. The current common meaning is an abbreviation
of ならない・ならぬ with an emphatic nuance. The other is an abbreviation of
「[ならむ](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/165308/meaning/m0u/)」which is an
obsolete equivalent to だろう・であろう - now mostly found in 時代劇。(Your example is the
latter - ならむ)

「あらん」is used in
[religious](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1052862080)
and other [profound
circumstances](http://ejje.weblio.jp/content/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9%E3%81%A8%E5%85%B1%E3%81%AB%E3%81%82%E3%82%89%E3%82%93%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%82%92)
to pray/wish for something good. Also more likely to find あらん in 時代劇

