Where does “coalternative” come from?

coalternative (English) comes from English co, from English company, from Middle English companye, from Old French compaignie, from Old French compain, from Latin compāniō, from Latin com-, from Latin con- — resin, gum; to say, speak.

Ancestry of “coalternative”, step by step

coalternative traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English co

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcoClipping of company; they; them
2EnglishcompanyA team; a group of people who work together...
3Middle EnglishcompanyeA company, band, small group, or team of people;...
4Old Frenchcompaigniecompanionship
5Old FrenchcompainAlternative form of compaing; friend; companion
6Latincompāniōcomrade
7Latincom-allomorph of con-
8Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
9Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
10Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
11Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
12Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
13Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
14Middle Englishkyt
15Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
16Old High Germankuti
17Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
18Proto-Germanickweduzresin
19Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak

via English alternative

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishalternativeRelating to a choice between two or more...
2Middle Frenchalternatifalternating; alternative
3Latinalternativusalternating
4Latinalternātusalternated, vacillated
5Latinalternōto do one thing and then another, do by turns, interchange, alternate
6Latinalternusalternate (one after the other), successive
7Latinalterthe other, the second; the one...the other
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂élterosother , second
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂el-to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet-