Etymology Dictionary

ALTERCATION,  a dispute.  (F.,—L.)   Used by Chaucer, C. T. 9349.—O. F. altercation, for which I can find no early authority; but Roquefort gives altercas, alterque, alterquie, a dispute; altercateur, disputer, and the verb alterquer, to dispute, whilst the E. pres. part. altercand occurs in Rob. of Brunne, p. 314; so that there is a high probability that the sb. was in use in French at an early period.   It is, moreover, given by Cotgrave, and explained by 'altercation, brabling, brawling,' &c.—Lat. altercationem, acc. of altercatio, a dispute.—Lat. altercari, to dispute.—Lat. alter, another; from the notion of speaking alternately.   See Alter, and see Alternate. [†]

ADDENDA

The O.F. altercation is quite right; I now observe that Littré gives an example of it as occurring in the 13th century.   Authority for the F. form occurs also in the Ango-French altercacioun, in Langtoft's Chron. ii. 332.