nidan verb (lower class) with 'nu' ending (archaic), intransitive verb
Archaic intransitive verb for sleeping. Equivalent to modern 寝る (ねる) sense 1. Found in classical texts.
See also: 寝る (ねる)
古の人は夜早く寝ぬるを常とせり。
People of old made it a rule to sleep early at night.
nidan verb (lower class) with 'nu' ending (archaic), intransitive verb
Archaic use for going to bed or lying down to sleep. Corresponds to modern 寝る sense 2.
See also: 寝る (ねる)
日暮れて、やがて寝ぬ。
As the sun set, he soon went to bed.
nidan verb (lower class) with 'nu' ending (archaic), intransitive verb
Archaic, somewhat literary nuance of retiring for the night or resting. Rare as a standalone meaning; often overlaps with sense 2.
翁は床に就きて静かに寝ぬ。
The old man went to bed and quietly reposed.
Modern equivalent. 寝ぬ is the archaic Nidan form; 寝る is the modern Ichidan verb covering the same meanings.
Archaic Nidan verb 寝ぬ (いぬ) is the classical form of modern 寝る (ねる). The exact derivation is uncertain, but it belongs to the native Japanese verb class that shifted from Nidan to Ichidan conjugation.