alternadas

Alternadas is the feminine plural form of the adjective alternado/alternada in Spanish and Portuguese, meaning alternating or occurring in turn. It is used to describe patterns, sequences, or arrangements that change between two or more states and appears across everyday language and technical vocabulary in several fields.

In botany, a common usage is hojas alternadas, describing a leaf arrangement where leaves are borne singly at different heights along the stem, rather than in opposite pairs. This contrasts with hojas opuestas, or opposite leaves. In linguistics and phonology, alternadas can describe alternations in inflection or sound, where a form changes depending on context.

In music and performance, alternadas can refer to alternating patterns between voices, hands, or rhythmic accents, such as notas alternadas or golpes alternados. In everyday usage, the term describes alternating days, shifts, or duties, as in días alternados or turnos alternados.

Etymology: from Latin alternatus, through Spanish and Portuguese. Related terms include alternancia, alternación, and the English equivalent alternate. The precise meaning of alternadas depends on the domain, but the core concept is a sequence that switches between states in a regular or semi-regular manner.