Alting

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. The national legislative assembly of Iceland, one of the oldest parliamentary bodies in the world, established in the tenth century
2. The parliament of Iceland, a representative assembly that has met in various forms since the Viking Age
3. A historic Icelandic legislature, known in Old Norse tradition as a gathering where laws were proposed and disputes settled

Etymology: Alting is the -ing form of "alt," which is an abbreviation, so the verb inherits its meaning from the word it shortens. Its base form is short for "alternate," the same word behind the Alt key on keyboards. That key takes its name from the word because it changes what other keys do: holding it down gives a second, alternate function to the keys pressed with it. Alting, then, is the act of pressing or working with that alternate layer of a keyboard.