'juxtapose' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'juxta,' meaning 'next to,' and the French word 'poser,' meaning 'to place.'

'juxta' combined with 'poser' in French to form 'juxtaposer,' which eventually became the modern English word 'juxtapose.'

Initially, it meant 'to place side by side,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.