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N2Degree & Limitation

Degree & Limitation: のみならず vs はもとより vs どころか vs ないまでも

Three of these escalate in the same direction; どころか is the only one that reverses. ないまでも is a different animal entirely — it lowers the bar rather than raising it.

The patterns

のみならず

not only ~ but also (plain escalation)

彼は学者のみならず、優れた教育者でもある。

He is not only a scholar but also an excellent educator.

はもとより

to say nothing of ~ (A is too obvious to mention)

国内はもとより、海外でも人気がある。

Popular abroad, to say nothing of at home.

どころか

far from ~ ; on the contrary

暖かいどころか、真夏のような暑さだ。

Far from warm — it was as hot as midsummer.

(とは言わ)ないまでも

even if not quite ~, at least

プロとは言わないまでも、それなりの実力は身につけたい。

Even if not professional level, I want real ability.

Decision procedure

1

Does the second half continue in the same direction, or reverse it?

Reverses / contradicts expectationどころか
Continues → go to step 2
2

Are you lowering the bar (falls short of A, but at least B)?

Yesないまでも
No → go to step 3
3

Are you stressing that A is so obvious it barely needs saying?

Yesはもとより
No — plain "not only… but also"のみならず

Commonly confused

ものではない — two different meanings

With a volitional verb in dictionary form it is a moral admonition ("人の悪口を言うものではない" = you shouldn't speak ill of others). With a potential form or a state description it shifts to denying an inference ("株を買えばすぐに受け取れるものではありません" = buying shares doesn't mean you receive them immediately). Check which verb type precedes it.

Kana vs kanji is itself a signal

Many grammar particles descend from content words with kanji (ところ←所, もの←物/事, まで←迄). Japanese convention drops the kanji once the word becomes purely grammatical. So kanji spelling usually means literal meaning; kana spelling usually means grammatical function.