Definition of the word alternate

The word "alternate" has its roots in Latin. The Latin word "alternare" means "to take turns" or "to alternate between two things". This Latin word is a combination of "alter", meaning "other" or "different", and "are" (the verb form of "esse", meaning "to be"). In the 15th century, the English word "alternate" was borrowed from Latin, and initially referred specifically to music and poetry, where it described a pattern of repetition with variation. Over time, the meaning of "alternate" expanded to include a broader sense of substitution or rotation, applicable to various fields such as medicine, transportation, and politics. Today, the word is widely used in a variety of contexts to describe the act of taking turns or switching between different options or alternatives.