What is the function of と
in とある?
It doesn't seem to be the particle と
--it doesn't seem to attach to whatever comes before it, which particles generally do. It also doesn't seem to fit any of the uses of the particle と
described my in books. So, I guess it must be something other than a particle.
So far, I've found this answer on 知恵袋. It suggests that と
is this 副詞 meaning 「そのように」 , the same と
in とにかく
. And, as @Chocolate points out in a comment, 学研全訳古語辞典 agrees that the と
in とある
is a 副詞.
However, in another comment, Chocolate points out that 広辞苑 says と
is a particle. I'm not sure how to reconcile this with the other information I've found so far. (I don't have 広辞苑 myself, so I can't verify the quote.) As I said before, it doesn't seem to behave like a particle to me, because it doesn't attach to what comes before it. Is 広辞苑 wrong?
What is this と
exactly?