"to contend with words," 1520s, a back-formation from altercation, or else from Latin altercatus, past participle of altercari "to dispute (with another)," from alter "the other" (see alter).
Entries linking to altercate
alter v.
late 14c., "to change (something), make different in some way," from Old French alterer "to change, alter," from Medieval Latin alterare "to change," from Latin alter "the other (of the two)," from PIE root *al- (1) "beyond" + comparative suffix -ter (as in other). Intransitive sense "to become otherwise" first recorded 1580s. Related: Altered; altering.