残らず

のこらず · nokorazu · JLPT N2 · adverb

completely

残 (nokori, left over) + らず (not/without): nothing left over, so 'completely; without exception'.

らず is the classical negative 'without'. Combined with 残 'remainder', it means no remainder is left, so the total is complete with no exceptions.

残 — 歹 (bones/death) + 戔 (small/cut, phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 歹 (bare bones, death) gives the meaning of harm or ruin, while 戔 (two 戈 spears, suggesting cutting) supplies the sound. Originally meant to injure or destroy, later extended to 'remnant, leftover' — what remains after damage.

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