I've come across the phrase "〜とでも言うべきであろうか" in my reading. I understand most of it, but am a little confused as to what the "でも" is doing. I'm familiar with "でも" as a particle, but it appears to be functioning something like an adverb in this case. My best guess would be to translate it as something like "〜 , one might call it". Can anyone explain the function of the word here? Thanks.
Answer
「～～ + と + でも + Verb Phrase using [言]{い}う/[呼]{よ}ぶ/[表現]{ひょうげん}する, etc.」
The 「と」 here is a quotative particle. There is something you want to call, describe, etc. as "~~".
By using 「でも」, you are opting to give an "example" or "tentative" name, description, etc. instead of giving a "final" or "definitive" one.
In English, it means along the lines of "Let's call it ~~ for now.", "~~ would be one way to describe it.", etc. Thus your translation "~~, one might call it" is spot-on.
「でも」 consists of 「で」,the [連用形]{れんようけい} of the affirmation auxiliary verb 「だ」, and the particle 「も」 if you are into grammar.
This 「でも」 is quite often attached to another particle.
「このスイカは[山田]{やまだ}さんにでもあげよう。」 = "Let's give this watermelon to Mr. Yamada, perhaps?"
「[日本]{にほん}は[寒]{さむ}いのでハワイへでも[行]{い}きたいのだが、お[金]{かね}がない。」 = "I would love to go somewhere like Hawaii because it's too freaking cold here in Japan, but I don't have enough money."
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