Bound particles (係助詞) might as well be called emphatic particles. Most of them have become adverbial and or final particles. Their functions range from emphatic to interrogative usages, and this is often determined by careful attention to context.
Bound particles require that the final verb phrase in their clause to be in a particular form. Most require the final verb phrase to be in the 連体形 because, as we've seen, that can make verbs function as nominalized phrases in Classical Japanese.
Though the particles discussed in this lesson may not be exhaustive in accounting for all such particles in Classical Japanese, it will enable you to have a decent understanding of the some times very complex grammar rules that go with them.
The particles to be discussed are the following:
| Particle | The Fixed Base | Function(s) | Final Usages? |
| は | 終止形 | Topic Marker | Yes |
| も | 終止形 | Parallel listing | Yes |
| や（は） | 連体形 | Doubt/question | Yes |
| か（は） | 連体形 | Doubt/question | Yes |
| ぞ | 連体形 | Emphasis | Yes |
| なむ・なん | 連体形 | Emphasis | Yes |
| こそ | 已然形 | Strong emphasis | Yes |
Grammar Note: These particles have such a strong role in binding sentences in a certain form that even in their absence, when other elements that would be used in concert with them are showing doubt or a rhetorical question, as is an important usage for particles like ぞ, なむ, や, and か, the sentence may still be seen bound in the 連体形. No wonder the 終止形 and 連体形 merged.
The particle は is as you should certainly know is extremely important in Modern Japanese. However, there was a point in time where it was not used, and it has taken centuries for the がVSは rivalry to get to its present form. In fact, the thing that rivaled は, which shows known information, was も, which could present new information. Where did this particle come from? It likely has origin with the particle ば, but it is certain that by the 平安時代 its usages had become greatly varied and increasingly more complex.
So, we know that it marks the topic. This topic is emphasized and often made distinct from other things, which is why we still often translate it into English with "as for". This topic is what the explanation/predicate is going to be about. It can be used with parallel items to show comparison and or contrast. Of course, it still has the role of highlighting the negative.
As you saw from above, it can also be used with other bound particles, and it can also be used as a final particle. That's right. Although modern orthography changes doesn't make this obvious, the adverbial は and final particle わ of Modern Japanese are from the same thing. When it comes at the end, the verb has to go to the 連体形，which is the common trait for bound particles.
Grammar Note: Remember from previous lessons that は can attach to an adjective 連用形 or -ず to create a hypothetical situation, and ず+は often makes ず(ん)ば. Also remember that を+は = をば.
Examples
1. 古京はすでに荒れて、新都はいまだ成らず。
The old capital has already been ravaged, and the new capital has still not been materialized.
From the 方丈記.
2. 人妻尓 言者誰事 酢衣乃 此紐解跡 言者孰言 (原文)
人妻に言ふは誰が言さ衣のこの紐解けと言ふは誰が言
Who calls for me, a married woman? Who says I untie the cords of my cloth and sleep together?
From the 万葉集.
3. 其願空しかるべくは、道にて死ぬべし。
If such a request proves hopeless, I shall die en route!
From the 平家物語.
4. なにもなにも小さきものはみなうつくし。
Of everything small things are particularly adorable.
From the 枕草子.
5. まろ格子上げずば道なくてげにえ入り来ざらまし。
If I hadn't raised the lattice, there would've been no path and I would have not been able to come.
From the 源氏物語.
6. 法師ばかり羨ましからぬものはあらじ。
There is probably no less enviable than a monk.
From the 徒然草.
7. 火に焼かむに焼けずはこそ真ならめ
When we try to burn it by fire and it cannot burn, it's definitely the real thing.
From the 竹取物語.
8. かの花は失せにけるは。
That flower has ended up disappearing!
From the 枕草子.
9. とまらしなよもの時雨のふるさとゝなりにしならの霜のくちはゝ (原文)
とまらじな四方の時雨の古郷となりにしならの霜の朽ち葉は
It won’t stop. In Nara the showers pour every which way, and the oak leaves fall and rot in the dew.
From the 院百首.
Word Note: [降る里 and 古里] and [奈良 and 楢] are overlapped together respectively.
10. 古里となりにし奈良の都にも色はかはらず花は咲きけり。
Even in the old capital Nara, without change in color, the flowers had bloomed.
From the 古今和歌集.
11. 悪所に落ちては死にたからず。
We don't want to die falling into a bad spot.
From the 平家物語.
12. 居明而 君乎者将待 奴婆珠能吾黒髪尓 霜者零騰文 (原文)
居明かして君をば待たむ烏珠の吾が黒髪に霜は降るとも
I will wait as is till dawn, no matter if the dew falls into my black hair.
From the 万葉集.
Base Note: Although we say that it is paired with the 終止形, there are sentences with it that are in the 命令形, where it is cut off in the 連用形, or ends in a nominal (体言止め). This is all still the case in Modern Japanese.
21. 樂浪乃 國都美神乃 浦佐備而 荒有京 見者悲毛 (原文)
楽浪の 国つ御神の うらさびて 荒れたる都 見れば悲しも
The heart of the kami of Sasanami has withered, and the ravaged capital ruins are sad to behold.
From the 万葉集.
Word Note: うちはえて comes from a verb with the meaning of stringing along a rope and is used here adverbially to express continuing to be so.
Grammar Note: ～めやも is a combination of the auxiliary ～む, which shows conjecture in this pattern, and the bound particles や and も. The pattern is used to rhetorically bring up conjecture or well with an added sense of exclamation and is equivalent to ～だろうか、いや、そんなことはないなあ.
Variant Note: This can be seen as やも in the 奈良時代.
35. 士也母 空応有 萬代尓 語続可 名者不立之而 (原文)
士やも 空しかるべき 万代に 語り継ぐべき 名は立てずして
Should a man end in vain? Without his name passed down for generations?
From the 万葉集.
Warning Note: Do not confuse this with the interjectory particle や.