What is the etymology of べき? How should I visualize it?


I like to visualise things to try and understand them as an idea not a
rehearsed rule. I like to think of hazu in terms of it being a notch in a bow
for the arrow as I hear the meaning stemmed from there. I won't get into that
too much but...

Is there any way to understand べき in a similar manner? I hear it is related to
"CAN" because it uses the same kanji "可き". How should I understand its nuance?




> Is there any way to understand べき in a similar manner?

I am afraid not.

べき is the 連体形 form of inflectable suffix べし in Classical Japanese, and in
Classical Japanese, 連体形 form was used as an abstract noun by itself in
general. According to
[Daijisen](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?dtype=0&dname=0na&index=16563700),
the widely accepted origin of べし is adverb
[うべし](http://kobun.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%86%E3%81%B9%E3%81%97) in Classical
Japanese, which meant something similar to “indeed.” I do not know the origin
of うべし.

But I doubt that this knowledge (plus the knowledge about the origin of うべし)
helps you understand the meaning and usage of べき in the modern Japanese. While
I respect your experience that etymology helped you understand the meaning and
usage of _some_ words, I think that you were lucky in those cases.

> how should I understand its [べき’s] nuance?

I do not know. Maybe you can check the examples of べき and べし in a textbook or
a dictionary?

Just in case, do not try to remember the meanings listed in a dictionary. We
use words in English (e.g. “should”) without remembering its ten or so
meanings listed in a dictionary. You should do the same thing with words in
Japanese.

