expression
Archaic polite abbreviation of ござんす, itself a polite form of ある. Used in historical or stylized speech to mean 'to be' or 'to exist'.
See also: ござんす
「ここにざんす」と、昔の人は言ったそうだ。
They say people in the old days said, 'I am here' using ざんす.
copula
Archaic polite copula, equivalent to modern です or でございます. Used after nouns or adjectival nouns in old-fashioned polite speech.
「これは見事な品でざんす」という言い回しが時代劇に出てくる。
The phrase 'This is a splendid item' using ざんす appears in period dramas.
Abbreviation of ござんす, an archaic polite form of ある. The exact historical development is uncertain, but it belongs to a family of old polite auxiliaries.