alternatio

Forms

alternātiō f (genitive alternātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin alternō (“to do by turns, alternate”) + -tiō.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Apuleius, in the Metamorphoses, speaks of moving the feet in uncertain alternations.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Paul the Deacon's epitome of Festus explains it as a succession by turns.^[4][5] For the jurists it meant an alternative: Ulpian requires a plaintiff to name the injury, not to plead this or that.^[2] Terentianus Maurus uses it for a vowel that can be either long or short.^[2]

In Medieval Latin it covered alternation in general, in metre and music, as well as exchange of property.^[6][7] Aldhelm writes of the turning succession of days.^[8] English alternation dates from the mid-15th century.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius describes alternate movements of the feet.^[2][10]
• before 223 AD – Ulpian uses it for an alternative in a legal claim.^[2][10]
• 297–310 AD – Arnobius has the word.^[10]
• 639–709 AD – Aldhelm writes of the succession of days.^[8][10]
• mid-15th century – English borrows alternation through Old French.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. An alternate movement, alternation.^[2][4]
2. (law) An alternative, the use of an alternative.^[2][4]
3. Ambivalence, the possibility of either of two values.^[2]
4. (Medieval Latin) Exchange, barter.^[7][6]

Related words

• English alternation

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de