Which clause is the だけ in 身の危険が迫った時にだけ発現する能力だから attached to?


> 身の危険が迫った時にだけ発現する能力だから

I know there are two relative clauses in the above sentence, as shown below.
Example structure is [verb/sentence]noun/main clause]

> Relative clause 1: [身の危険が迫った]時]
>
> Relative clause 2: [発現する]能力]

I know that clauses are made with the "sentence/verb + noun" construct, and
the main clause extends to the end of the sentence unless in the case a
second/third/etc relative clause exists, at which point the main clause will
end where the next relative clause begins.

In the above case however, the particle に already exists in the first main
clause, which makes me highly doubt the だけ particle is being used with the
first clause (despite me knowing that particles can be combined in different
ways; and this might be a case of seeing a combination I've not encountered
before). This [dictionary](https://sakura-
paris.org/dict/%E6%98%8E%E9%8F%A1%E5%9B%BD%E8%AA%9E%E8%BE%9E%E5%85%B8/exact/%E3%81%A0%E3%81%91)
has a example of にだけ, and this
[answer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/61253/%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A0%E3%81%91-vs-%E3%81%A0%E3%81%91%E3%81%AB-
difference-in-meaning/61281#61281) gives a possible meaning which failed to
answer my question.

Which clause is the だけ particle attached to, the first one (thereby making the
first main clause 時にだけ), or the second one (thereby making the second relative
clause だけ発現する)?

My best guess for the entire sentence would be that the だけ is attached to the
身の危険が迫った時に(だけ) clause, but I would still like to have a secondary opinion.




Without the だけ and だから, you have a long noun phrase, which you could parse...

> ［〈（身の危険が迫った）時に〉発現する］能力

身の危険が迫った modifies 時.

> [身の危険が迫った]時に = _lit._ "at times [when physical danger is approaching]"

身の危険が迫った時に発現する modifies 能力.

> [(身の危険が迫った)時に発現する]能力 = _lit._ "ability [that appears at times (when physical
> danger is approaching)]

* * *

Adding だけ:

「～～時に...」 = "... when ～～"  
→ 「～～時に **だけ**...」 = "... **only** when ～～"

So,

> 「身の危険が迫った時 **にだけ** 発現する」 = "appears **only when** physical danger is
> approaching"

The だけ modifies 身の危険が迫った時に.

* * *

Adding だから:

> 「身の危険が迫った時にだけ発現する能力だから」  
>  _lit._ "Because (it) is the ability that appears only when physical danger
> is approaching."  
>  → "Because it's the ability that appears only when you're in danger." /
> "Because the ability appears only when you're in danger."

～だから consists of the copula だ + particle から. Depending on context, から at the
end of a sentence can mean "Because..." or "..., you know." etc.




Without the だけ and だから, you have a long noun phrase, which you could parse...

> ［〈（身の危険が迫った）時に〉発現する］能力

身の危険が迫った modifies 時.

> [身の危険が迫った]時に = _lit._ "at times [when physical danger is approaching]"

身の危険が迫った時に発現する modifies 能力.

> [(身の危険が迫った)時に発現する]能力 = _lit._ "ability [that appears at times (when physical
> danger is approaching)]

* * *

Adding だけ:

「～～時に...」 = "... when ～～"  
→ 「～～時に **だけ**...」 = "... **only** when ～～"

So,

> 「身の危険が迫った時 **にだけ** 発現する」 = "appears **only when** physical danger is
> approaching"

The だけ modifies 身の危険が迫った時に.

* * *

Adding だから:

> 「身の危険が迫った時にだけ発現する能力だから」  
>  _lit._ "Because (it) is the ability that appears only when physical danger
> is approaching."  
>  → "Because it's the ability that appears only when you're in danger." /
> "Because the ability appears only when you're in danger."

～だから consists of the copula だ + particle から. Depending on context, から at the
end of a sentence can mean "Because..." or "..., you know." etc.

