もはや used with しか


I know that もはや+negative verb means "no longer", and しか+negative verb means
"only", "nothing but". But seeing them used together, as in the following
sentence, got me a little confused.

> 多くの帯刀者はもはや脅威でしかありません！

Does this translate as:

> Many taitosha are no longer only a threat!

or

> Many taitosha are only a threat by now!

Thanks for your help!




X でしかない === . . . has the only value (usefulness) of X

> 帯銃者は, もはや 脅威でしかありません

Gun-carriers are now nothing more than a threat.

Gun-carriers now constitute nothing more than a threat.

Gun-carriers now don't mean [ anything other than a threat ].

A gun-carrier now represents [ nothing but a threat ].

A gun-carrier now doesn't represent [ anything but a dangerous threat ].

> I know that もはや+negative verb means "no longer",

Yes, that's right.

もはや doesn't have the meaning of NOT built into it.

もはや means that [something that was true] is not true (no longer true) after
time T.

[something that was true] == carrying guns around (on one's person) had some
value to society.

But this explanation doesn't match the following definitions completely. Or
maybe it does.

> dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/220077/meaning/m0u/
>
> もはや【最早】とは。［副］
>
>   1. ある事態が実現しようとしているさま。早くも。まさに。「―今年も暮れようとしている」
>
>   2. ある事態が変えられない ところ まで進んでいるさま。今となっては。もう。「―如何ともしがたい」「―これまで」
>
>

* * *

i wanted to add that ... (for the 2nd sense just above) it seems that もはや is
used only when there is a negation (in the text) or there is a negative sense
(to describe the current state).

もはや自由な時代になったんだよ is uncommon or impossible.

今や自由な時代になったんだよ is much better.




This sentence means "Many taitosha are nothing more than a treat". It's
confusing because "しかありません" becomes affirmative when translated on western
languages, but it's still a negative in the sense of Japanese grammar.

