The meaning of ～のみ

Question

What is the meaning/significance of ～のみ? Does it have anything to do with 身 or 見?

Some example sentences:

• しかし、予算の制限のため、差し当たり実験機のみを製造することになった。
  But budget restrictions have allowed them to make only prototypes for the time being.

• そして、内で行われる茶の湯の作法のみが美しく見え、そこに宇宙空間や禅の思想までもが表現されたもの。
  In that context, the tea ceremony becomes the focus of beauty, while ideas of space and Zen are also communicated.

• 両商品とも、コンビニのみで販売されている。
  Both products are sold only at convenience stores.

Answer 1

It means "only". You can think of it as the written version of だけ.

のみ can replace だけ except for these cases:

• i-adjectives: 高い{だけ・*のみ}

• na-adjectives: 静かな{だけ・*のみ}

• quantifiers: 一つ{だけ・*のみ}

_{* denoting unacceptability}

Also case particles may appear before/after のみ with virtually no difference in meaning except for で.

• Xでのみ, Y - Only using X, Y.

• Xのみで, Y - Using "Only X", Y.