English → Latin
“alternation” in Latin
alternātiōinterchange, alternation; alternativevicischange; alternation; interchange; time; instance; seasonvicissitūdōchange, interchange, alternation, vicissitudepermūtātiōchange, alteration; exchange, bartervarietāsdifference, diversity, variety
The English word alternation itself goes back to Latin alternus, through alternatio.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
alternation
alternatio (post-classical): vices (plur.), vicissitudo: permutatio (change): varietas. Alternations of fortune, fortunae vicissitudines, varietas: of the seasons, temporum vicissitudo, varietas: of day and night, vieissitudines dierum, noctiumque; vicissitudines diurnae nocturnaeque (Cic.).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for alternation?
- The usual Latin words for “alternation” are alternātiō, vicis, vicissitūdō; also permūtātiō, varietās. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.