Question about ～しも

Japanese
#1

So in the ならまだしも grammar point, the following Fun Fact is listed:

Fun Fact

しも is a classical particle that is not frequently used in modern times outside of set phrases or expressions like ならまだしも, 今しも ‘right this moment’, and だれしも ‘absolutely anybody’. In all cases, it merely strengthens the word directly before it.

Apparently しも strengthens every word before it, but in the case of 必ずしも, it seems to actually weaken it. 必ず means “always,” and 必ずしも means “not always.” So what gives? Is there a different way to think about しも in order to make it make a bit more sense?

Thanks in advance!

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#2

In this case しも is still strengthening 必ず. 必ずしも doesn’t mean “not always” on its own. It is a collocation with negative sentences/phrases, and the “not” part comes from the negation itself (the “always” part comes from 必ずしも).

Taking an example from the grammar point for 必ずしも:

思い出が必ずしも美しいとは限らない。
Memories are not always beautiful.

Here, the negation (とは限らない) gives the “not” meaning and 必ずしも is used for emphasis. It is like saying something is “(not) necessarily 100% always the case”.

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#3

Thank you!
In that case, the next question would be–
could you use it to mean “always”?
休める日は土曜日だけだから、僕は必ずしも家でゴロゴロする。
Saturdays are the only days I have off, so I always lay around the house.

Or is it one of those things where it’s technically gramatically correct, but it just so happens that no one uses it for that purpose, so I shouldn’t either?

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#4

It isn’t used that way - it will sound like a grammar mistake. If you say 必ずしも then automatically the expectation is for a negative to follow. If I were to give a similar example in English then it would be something like:

I don’t like fish at all. (Negative + “at all” = natural)
I like fish at all. (Positive + “at all” = unnatural)

It just comes across as a category error.

For reference, the デジタル大辞泉 offers this definition (my emphasis):

打消しの語を伴って、必ず…というわけではない、…とは限らない、という気持ちを表す。

One of the reasons 必ずしも is often taught as a “grammar point” is precisely because of this contextual sensitivity.

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