Etymograph

English

altercate

Altercate comes from Latin altercor ‘to have a discussion or difference with another’, from alter ‘the other’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-1‘beyond, other’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂élyos1‘other, another’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*aljos1‘another’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*aliteros1‘other (of two)’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEalter1‘the other’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaltercor1‘to have a discussion or difference with another’
  7. Englishtodayaltercate1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English altercate

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂el-Wiktionary, English altercate‘beyond, other’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂élyosWiktionary, English altercate‘other, another’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*aljosWiktionary, English altercate‘another’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*aliterosWiktionary, English altercate‘other (of two)’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEalterWiktionary, English altercate‘the other’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaltercorWiktionary, English altercate‘to have a discussion or difference with another’
  7. EnglishtodayaltercateWiktionary, English altercate

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- ‘beyond, other’

as, all, old, adult, el, element, ellen, ultimate, ultra, elder, outrage, ou, alumni, adolescent, altitude, qualification, abolish, alpine, altar, alt, alias, alum, alto, auld, alimony, proletariat, alp, retaliate, coalesce, foetal, ulterior, aad, eld, exalt, althea, withal, altimeter, 58 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos ‘other, another’

else, alienation, parallax, inalienable, alienate, 29 more

through Proto-Italic *aljos ‘another’

alien, alibi, 21 more

through Proto-Italic *aliteros ‘other (of two)’

adultery, altruism, 18 more

through Latin alter ‘the other’

alternate, alternation, 8 more

Today it means

verb To argue, quarrel or wrangle.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “altercate”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- / altercate

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