In the Japanese version of "don't drink and drive" slogan, 【乗るなら飲むな】 (also 【飲んだら乗るな】), what part of speech is the な that follows the plain verb 飲む (or 乗る in the second variation) to form the negative imperative verb form?
At first I thought it was a conjugation, but a conjugation modifies the verb that it attaches to, whereas 飲む and 乗る are left unmodified before the な. I am thinking maybe it is a special usage of the な particle, but I don't discount the possibility that it is entirely a different species.
Also, what of its origin? Did it come from abbreviation of longer clauses like 「飲む無しに(して/しろ)」 etc, or from something else?
Answer
It's the strongest, tersest form of negative. It always follows a plain form verb. I have no idea of the origin; it's pretty old though:)
Regarding the origin, it goes back to at least the 8th century in this form:
活用語の終止形に付いて、「～するな」と禁止する意をあらわす。現代口語に継承されている。
大和道は雲隠れたりしかれども吾が振る袖をなめしと思ふな（万葉集、筑紫娘子） こちふかば匂ひおこせよ梅の花あるじなしとて春を忘るな（拾遺集、菅原道真）
Source: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~sg2h-ymst/yamatouta/intro/josi05.html#ab17
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