What Does Cogitate Mean?

wondrous memeI’m back from Maui for another round of Wondrous Words Wednesday.  (Can I just say that the shift from sunshine to ice has been difficult?)  Visit Kathy at Bermudaonion.net for more interesting words.

My word comes from the very helpful guide-book Maui Revealed by Andrew Doughty.  Some reviewers on Goodreads complain about Doughty’s sarcasm, and suggest it doesn’t align with the “Aloha” spirit.  However, my family, including my teen and tween, enjoyed the humor in his descriptions.  For example, under “South Maui Best Bets”:

Best Example of What Should Be a Misplaced Decimal Point… but isn’t- $350 to use a cabana for One Day at the Grand Wailea.

Maui RevealedNow, on to the Word Nerd Word, taken from Doughty’s description of Venus Pool in Kipahulu.

There you’ll find numerous places that people jump from, deep water in several spots, the pounding ocean just on the other side of the gravel and some perfect areas on the mountain side from which to sit and cogitate.

Cogitate \’kä-jə-tāt\ verb, from Latin cogitare to think, from co + agitare to drive; to ponder or meditate deeply or intently

I figured from the word “cognition” that this had something to do with thinking.

Word Nerd Workout

Think of some synonyms for cogitate and share them below.  Also, where is your favorite spot to cogitate?  Here’s one of mine:

Pa'iloa Beach (black sand) at Wai'anapanapa State Park
Pa’iloa Beach (black sand) at Wai’anapanapa State Park

Thanks for working out with me!

Julia 

Julia Tomiak
I believe in the power of words to improve our lives, and I help people find interesting words to read. Member of SCBWI.

6 Comments

  1. How fun that you shared “cogitate”. My dad, who I lost when I was 24, used that word a lot. I always thought it was one of his made up words! he always liked to sit on our back patio with a cup of coffee and a cigarette and cogitate about his day. One of the reasons I love to read, my Dad loved the written word. Thank you for bringing back that memory.

    1. Judy, thanks for sharing this bittersweet story. I lost my mom when I was 25, and there’s something very hard about losing a parent that young. I’m glad you have such great memories of your father, and that your Dad shared his love of reading with you.

  2. We love Andrew Doughty’s Hawaii Revealed books. We own the Big Island and Oahu editions and used them to find the best beaches, restaurants, and hikes on our two trips to Hawaii.

    And Hawaii is the perfect place to sit and cogitate…or contemplate, ruminate, or muse over life’s mysteries. Keep the breathtaking pictures coming!

  3. I love the word cogitate, and my husband and I actually use it quite frequently. “Let me cogitate on that” is Salerni-speak for “I’ll get back to you with a decision later.”

    I like to cogitate by my goldfish pond. Not now though. It’s frozen over. Nothing to look at!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.