cogitatio

Forms

cōgitātiō f (genitive cōgitātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin cōgitō (“to think, consider”) + -tiō.^[2][1] cōgitō is con- and agitō (“to set in motion, turn over in the mind”), the frequentative of agō (“to drive, do”);^[2] Varro already explained it so.^[3] De Vaan traces agō to Proto-Italic *ag-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-e/o- (“to drive, lead”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler first records it in Varro and Cicero.^[5] Varro uses it of deliberation before acting, and the Rhetorica ad Herennium of the things that rest on our planning and thought.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Cōgitātiō is the act of thinking, reflection, and thought directed to a future action, deliberation (Cicero: an impulse that urges us to do something without reflection).^[2][3] It is also philosophical speculation, thought as opposed to reality, the thinking faculty, the mind, and the outcome of thinking, an idea (Cicero: posteriōrēs enim cōgitātiōnēs … sapientiōrēs solent esse, “second thoughts are usually wiser”).^[2][1] From these come “opinion, view”, “intention, plan, design”, “concern for someone” and “expectation”.^[2][1]

Church Latin glosses it “thought, plan, design”.^[6] English cogitation comes from it through Old French about 1200.^[7]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of deliberation.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero: posteriōrēs enim cōgitātiōnēs … sapientiōrēs solent esse.^[2][5]
• c. 1200 – English cogitation.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. Thinking, reflection, thought.^[2][3][1]
2. deliberation; speculation.^[2]
3. The thinking faculty, the mind.^[2]
4. A thought, an idea; an opinion, view.^[2][1]
5. An intention, plan, design.^[2][1][6]
6. Concern (for someone); expectation.^[2]

Related words

• cōgitō
• agitō
• agō
• English cogitation

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com