alternately
Meaning
In a way that involves two things following one after the other repeatedly.
As another option or possibility.
Structure
Usage
The lights flashed alternately red and green.
You can pay in cash or, alternately, with a credit card.
She felt alternately excited and nervous about the upcoming trip.
Etymology
The word 'alternately' has a lineage tracing back to the Latin alter, meaning "the other (of two)." This root evolved into alternus, signifying "one after the other," which entered English via French as the adjective and verb 'alternate.' The suffix '-ly,' of Germanic origin, was then appended to form the adverb. Thus, the modern meaning of 'alternately' logically extends from the core concept of "the other" to describe actions or states that switch between two options or follow in successive turns.
Analysis
- altern: From Latin alternus (one after the other, alternate), from alter (other of two). Serves as the core root conveying the sense of "other" or "every other one." - ate: A suffix of Latin origin used to form adjectives (as in alternate) and verbs, indicating a state or process. - ly: An Old English adverbial suffix, from Proto-Germanic -līko, used to form adverbs from adjectives.