Etymologically
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cogitatio

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [koː.ɡɪˈtaː.ti.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ko.d͡ʒiˈtat.t͡si.o][1]

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]

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