やんす

auxiliary verb

honorific auxiliary verb

Archaic honorific auxiliary verb that attaches to the ～ます stem to express reverence toward the listener. Equivalent to modern ～ます in terms of politeness but with a respectful nuance. Rarely used in modern Japanese outside historical or stylized contexts.

• 「お待まちなさいまし」の「まし」は、古ふるい敬けい語ごの「やんす」に由ゆ来らいするとも言いわれる。

  The まし in お待ちなさいまし is said to derive from the old honorific やんす.

auxiliary verb

polite auxiliary verb

Archaic polite auxiliary verb that attaches to the ～ます stem to express politeness toward the listener. Similar to modern ～ます but now obsolete. Often encountered in Edo-period language or period dramas.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいの言こと葉ばでは、「ござります」の代かわりに「ござんす」のように「やんす」が使つかわれた。

  In Edo-period language, やんす was used as in ござんす instead of ござります.