|
|
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 91
journeyman
|
OP
journeyman
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 91 |
If I reply to an email, can I say I revert to you? Does "revert" have any meaning related to "reply( to an inquiry)"?
A contact wrote in reply to my email:"I'll revert to you, if need be." And I found the "revert" was a little off to my ear. I saw little of such uses, except another time quite a while ago and the then author seemed from the same region.
I’m learning English. If u find anywhere I can improve my composition, Pls do let me know. Bow.
Do inform me if you see any corrections needed in my written English. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
Hello, callithump. Revert is a very formal word. It has a technical legal meaning, but in this sort of context it just means "I'll reply to you again later."
People usually use it when, for example, they don't have the information you want so they'll have to look for it first, or if they will need to contact you again after taking some action.
Bingley
Bingley
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
I would say that hardly anyone would understand what you meant if you used 'revert' in that way. The standard meaning of 'revert' is 'to return to a previous state'. The legal sense, according to the AHD, is to return to the original owner. Thus, a court may decided to revert stolen property to the original owner even though the property has gone through a number of otherwise perfectly legal transferences of ownership, e.g., a work of art stolen by an invading army, recovered by liberating troops, and donated to an art museum.
Use 'reply' if being formal, or 'get back to you' if informal.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154 |
I agree with Faldage. I would only say I'll revert to you if . . .nope that won't work either. Your ear was right Calli
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
to revert stolen property to the original owner Hey, Faldage, how come you didn't say to revert back stolen property to the original owner, or to revert stolen property back to the original owner ?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
"will revert to you" gets 5860 google hits. Judging by the first few pages, most of them seem to mean "contact you again".
In the legal sense, it seems to be more common that property/rights revert to the original owner, rather than the court reverts the property/rights to the original owner.
Bingley
Bingley
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
say to revert back stolen property to the original owner
Because there wasn't anything in the AHD definition that suggested use of the word back.
property/rights revert to the original owner, rather than the court reverts the property/rights
My bad. I didn't read close enough to note that it was an intransitive verb.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508 |
Because there wasn't anything in the AHD definition that suggested use of the word back.
Isn't the notion of "back" implicit in the word? You wouldn't say "return back." Back is redundant.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
That's what I thought, Nancy. The same reason we don't say reply back. So--why on earth have some people started saying return back?!?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
why on earth have some people started saying return back?!?
Because the world is going mad. Mad, I tell you!
The precise use of English is becoming a lost art - except here of course.
Revert ( a word with a precise legal definition) being used instead of reply (common useage) is the thin edge of the wedge!
Mad, I tell you, Mad!
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,810
Members9,187
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
458
guests, and
1
robot. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
