This sentence doesn’t make sense.
What is the difference between 成す and 成る, and why is it in this sentence that the first one is used?
My understanding is that the former means moreso “to do” and is active and transitive, where is the latter means moreso “to become” and is passive and intransitive.
@ericaw
なす = “to be” or “to form” ==> なす is interchangeable with 形成している (pron. けいせいしている)
なる = “to become” or “to transform itself into” ==> なる is interchangeable with 変化する (pron. へんかする)
The image of なす is like gathering each element/body part to form a larger and more powerful/meaningful entity. The point is NOT about the changing “process”, but the result. So, なす doesn’t describe the ongoing action but the current status/condition. In other words, なす is probably closer to an adjective rather than a verb.
Here are examples:
バッタが群れを成している。= Locusts gather in one place and form a swarm. = The swarm consists of many locusts.
憲法は国の基礎を成す。= A constitution serves as a fundamental element for a country. ==> Running a country requires many systems (body parts), one of which is a constitution.
憲法は国の基礎になった。= The constitution has become the fundamental part of this country. = The previous constitution was rubbish and didn’t work. But the new one became more reliable. ==> 成る illustrates the change/transformation.
この文章は意味をなさない means that “Each word in this paragraph has a certain meaning. But by combining them, the paragraph as a whole doesn’t make any sense or is ineffective.”
If you want to use ならない instead, the sentence would be この文章は○○という意味にはならない = This paragraph cannot turn into the meaning of ○○. = You cannot interpret this paragraph as ○○.