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kātabbaṁ

kātabba

neuter singular accusative (or nominative) of kātabba, past participle (gerundive) of karoti 'do, make'

1. should be done
2. must be done
3. what ought to be done

Built from

• kā — root · do, make
  The verb stem kā- derives from Indo-European *kʷer- 'to make, do'. Cognates: Sanskrit kṛ-, Latin crēō 'create', English craft, German Kraft 'power'. The root is the core of causative and productive action in Pali.
• -tabba — ending · should be, must be
  Gerundive suffix denoting obligation, necessity, or fitness. When attached to a verbal stem, it creates a participial adjective meaning 'fit to be done' or 'that which should be done'. In the canonical idiom, kātabba appears in normative and doctrinal contexts describing duties and proper conduct.

Analysis. kāta- (past participle stem of √kṛ 'do') + -bba (suffix marking necessity or obligation, related to -tavya in Sanskrit). The form expresses what is fit, proper, or obligatory to be done.

Etymology. √kṛ (Sanskrit kṛ-, Latin crēō 'create', English craft). The gerundive suffix -bba shares origins with Sanskrit -tavya, expressing an action that should or must be performed.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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