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"It seems there is none" is なさそう, which escapes the usual rule for 形容詞
(イ-adjectives), which says "drop the い and add そう".

Is there a historical explanation for this exception? And does it have
anything to do with なさいません?
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2012-09-12T02:00:05.220
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2018-09-25T16:31:50.543
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question
conjugations negation i-adjectives irregularities-exceptions
Why is it なさそう and not なそう
Your "usual rule" is incomplete. It should be:

  1. drop -i
  2. if resulting is a single mora in length, add -sa
  3. add -sou.

Hence, nai:

  1. na
  2. na + sa
  3. na + sa + sou --> nasasou.

atui:

  1. atu
  2. (not applicable)
  3. atu + sou --> atusou.
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2012-09-12T02:16:22.430
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2012-09-25T03:52:39.233
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answer
Well, in first place there are possible confusions depending you are referring
to ない as a [助動詞]{じょどうし} or 無い as a [形容詞]{けいようし}.

In the case of "It seems there is none", なさそう will be 無い adjective
[連用形]{れんようけい} + そうだ [助動詞]{じょどうし}。

It seems that when そうだ was first introduced at Muromachi period, なそう was used
but as な is only one syllable, さ was added through time.

It has nothing to do with なさいません which is the negative form of [為]{な}さる verb.

For information, in the case of ない as a [助動詞]{じょどうし}, なそうだ is used:

> 彼はお酒を飲まなそうだ。

But recently, さ is sometimes added:

> 彼は来な(さ)そうだ。
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2012-11-23T07:53:35.527
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answer