I have noticed that some verbs have this "rare" or old form that is no longer used much (if at all). Here are some examples.
- おそる： おそるべき者 → One who is feared
- ほむ： ほむべきお方【かた】 → Seen often in my Japanese Bible describing God; "The one worthy of praise"
- 求【もと】む： 店員を求む → Help wanted
- Were these forms prominently used at some point?
- Why (and possibly, when) did their current forms (
おそれる,ほめる, and求めるrespectively) become the "standard" and overtake the older forms? - Are they used in other ways in modern Japanese, or only in fixed sayings/situations like these?
- Can you list any other verbs like this? (I know this part is a little open-ended and thus is discouraged according to the site's acceptable questions, but if you know any, and answer the other questions above, throw it in with your answer)
Answer
Were these forms prominently used at some point?
Yes, they were predominately used in writing up until the end of World War II. Technically speaking, the movement to change the writing style to match the way people speak began in the early Meiji Era though. So, two writing styles existed for a long period of time.
Why (and possibly, when) did their current forms (おそれる, ほめる, and 求める respectively) become the "standard" and overtake the older forms?
After World War II, the government adopted a policy to use modern contemporary Japanese primarily based on the colloquial language used in Tokyo for literature.
Are they used in other ways in modern Japanese, or only in fixed sayings/situations like these?
The only remnants of literary language in modern Japanese are in the fixed sayings you see in your examples.
Can you list any other verbs like this? (I know this part is a little open-ended and thus is discouraged according to the site's acceptable questions, but if you know any, and answer the other questions above, throw it in with your answer)
If you search for "文語形 動詞", you should be able to find a bunch. Here is a link that lists a bunch from the dictionary.
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