荒ぶ

From the stem of adjective 荒らし (arashi, “rough, wild”) +‎ ぶ (-bu, “to act like, to be (of a manner)”, precursor to modern suffix びる (-biru)).^[1]

荒(あら)ぶ • (arabu) ^†nidan

1. (archaic) to be wild, to become wild, to be harsh or excessively strong

   Synonym: 荒む (susamu)

   • 927 延喜式 (Engishiki, “Procedures of the Engi Era”):

     四(よ)方(も)四(よ)角(すみ)より疎(うと)び荒(あら)備(び)来(こ)む天(てん)のまがつひといふ神(かみ)の言(こと)はむ悪(まが)事(こと)に

     Yomo yosumi yori utobi arabi komu ten no maga tsu hito ifu kami no koto wa mu magakoto ni

     All the gods from every corner of heaven come to say evil things

2. (archaic) to be neglected, to fall into ruin, to be uncivilized
   • 720 日本書紀 (Nihon Shoki, “Chronicles of Japan”):

     夫(そ)れ葦(あし)原(はらの)中(なかつ)国(くに)は本(もと)より荒(あら)芒(び)たり。

     Sore Ashihara no Nakatsukuni wa moto yori arabi tari.

     Ashihara no Nakatsukuni is becoming less civilized.

3. (archaic, of poetry) to lack ornamentation, to be simple, be plain
   • 1694, Matsuo Bashō, Rōka ate kyorai chokan [Recurring thoughts on leaving]:

     俳(はい)諧(かい)あらび可(か)申(もうし)候(そうら)事(こと)は、言(こと)葉(ば)あらく、道(どう)具(ぐ)下(げ)品(ひん)の物(もの)取(とり)出(だ)し申(もうし)候(そうら)事(こと)にては無(ない)

     Haikai arabi-ka mōshisōra koto wa, kotoba araku, dōgu gehin no mono toridashi mōshisōra koto nite wa nai

     Haikai is not merely simple construction, rude words, something drawn up with coarse tools

• 荒(あら)い (arai, “rough, harsh, intense”, adjective)
• 荒(あら)々(あら)しい (arārashii, “harsh, violent; rough”, adjective)
• 荒(あ)れる (areru, “to become disordered; to become rough; to grow wild”, intransitive)
• 荒(あ)らす (arasu, “to create disorder; to destroy”, transitive)
• びる (-biru, “to look like; to behave like”, suffix)