Wordwyrt

alter

/ˈɔːltə/AWL-tur
/ˈɔltɚ/AWL-tur

Meaningto make other

Common meaning: to change

Journey through time

  1. Latinalter‘the other of two’
  2. Englishmeaning shiftsthe other of two → to changealter‘to change’ · today

alter also in: alternatealtercationsubaltern

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin alter ‘the other of two’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry alter, p. 97 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • alter Latin “the other of two”

Related words

altercationalternatesubaltern

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