Hello Pali friends,

I am researching the meaning of verb 'ceteti'.

To explore the semantic field I found such words used along this verb:

So na ceva ceteti, na ca abhisa"nkharoti. - Potthapada sutta, DN 1.184

Yaсca, bhikkhave, ceteti yaсca pakappeti yaсca anuseti... -
Cetanaa sutta, SN 2.65

na ceteti na pattheti na ca sa"nkappeti. - Petakopadesa .220

We see that the words associated mean intention, planning and wish.

In commentaries the verb is strongly linked with the noun 'cetana' -
"will", "intention":

ya~nca, bhikkhave, cetetiiti ya.m cetana.m ceteti, pavattetiiti
attho. - Nidanavagga-Atthakatha 2.70

vedanaa vedeti, cetanaa ceteti, sa~n~naa sa~njaanaatiiti attho. -
Salayatanavagga-Atthakatha, 2.380

So the verb 'ceteti' means 'wills, intends', and the identification of
'ceteti' with 'cinteti' by Prof. Rhys-Davids in PED is evidently a
mistake.

'Cinteti' has a markedly distinct place in the semantic field, -
"thinks over, ponders about":

Cinteti aaramma.na.m upanijjhaayatiiti citta.m - Sagathavagga-Tika Mya. 1.93

Jhaayatiiti cinteti. - Atthakanipatadi-Atthakatha, 5.79

hita.m ajjheti cinteti sajjhaaya.m karotiiti - Apadana-Atthakatha .430

and is linked with the noun 'citta':

Tena phassena ta.m phassa.m phusati, taaya vedanaaya ta.m vedana.m
vedeti, taaya sa~n~naaya ta.m sa~n~na.m sa~njaanaati, taaya cetanaaya
ta.m cetana.m ceteti, tena cittena ta.m citta.m cinteti, tena
vitakkena ta.m vitakka.m vitakketi, tena vicaarena ta.m vicaara.m
vicaareti, taaya piitiyaa ta.m piiti.m piyaayati, taaya satiyaa
ta.m sati.m sarati, taaya pa~n~naaya ta.m pa~n~na.m pajaanaati, -
Katthavatthu .314

Saratiiti ta.m ovaadaanusaasanidhamma.m cinteti citte karoti.

It seems that the source of confusion has been in the phrase:

Cetetiiti cinteti. - Duka-tika-catukkanipata-Atthakatha 2.256

which was taken too literally without more extensive study.

Best wishes, Dmytro