A diplomatic representative or alternate delegate sent to represent a nation or official body when the primary representative is unavailable.
From French 'alternat,' derived from Latin 'alternare' (to alternate), referring to the practice of rotating diplomatic representation between nations or officials.
The concept of 'alternat' was especially important in medieval and Renaissance diplomacy, where rotating representatives was a way to show equality between powers—neither side would have a permanent 'upper hand' in negotiations!
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