何なんぼう

adverb

how much; how many; how; to what extent

Archaic interrogative adverb; in modern Japanese, どのくらい, いくら, or どう are used instead.

• 古こ典てんでは「なんぼうの金かねを払はろうたか」のように使つかわれた。

  In classical texts, it was used like 'how much money did you pay?'

adverb

however (much); no matter how

Archaic concessive use, often in patterns like なんぼう...とも; modern equivalents include どんなに...ても or いくら...でも.

• 「なんぼう苦くるしくとも、耐たえねばならぬ」という古ふるい言いい回まわしがある。

  There is an old expression: 'No matter how hard it is, you must endure.'