Revert - Topic

Yes, I've seen this fairly often. It's business jargon that means "get back to you" in this case.

Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.

Posts: 10940 | Location: London

Ignored post by arnie posted

Richard English

Member

posted

As Arnie writes, it's business jargon that saves writing the sentence, "I will get back to you". Common enough in the UK.

Richard English

Posts: 8040 | Location: Partridge Green, West Sussex, UK

Ignored post by Richard English posted

Kalleh

Member

posted

Americans, have you heard it? I sure haven't. I suppose the definition of "go back" could apply, but it seems reaching, at best.

Posts: 24737 | Location: Chicago, USA

Ignored post by Kalleh posted

Member

posted

I've never heard it used that way, but I can see it catching on. The OED Online offers this definition;

quote:
10. intr.

a. Of a speaker or narrator: to go back or return to a previous subject of discourse. Also with infinitive.

Here is a quote from an article that appeared in the New York Times June 3, 2010.

quote:
It turns out that unbeknownst to most dictionaries, revert has been leading another life in several varieties of world English, notably the kind spoken on the Indian subcontinent. The usage has finally garnered the attention of the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, which amended the definition of revert for its newly published eighth edition to include the meaning "to reply." Marked in the OALD as "Indian English," the use of the word is exemplified by the sentences: "Excellent openings - kindly revert with your updated CV," and "We request you to kindly revert back if you have any further requirements."

And here is the definition in full from the OALD .

quote:
[intransitive] (+ adverb/preposition) (Indian English, rather formal) to reply
Excellent openings—kindly revert with your updated CV.
We request you to kindly revert back if you have any further requirements.
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Phrasal verbs
revert to somebody/something
(law) (of property, rights, etc.) to return to the original owner again
see also reversion
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revert to something (formal)
1 to return to a former state; to start doing something again that you used to do in the past.
After her divorce she reverted to her maiden name.
His manner seems to have reverted to normal.
Try not to revert to your old eating habits.
He reverted to his native language (= started using it again.
The house was a school for a while, but has reverted to being a private house.
The area has reverted back to a wilderness.
For a while the children behaved well but they soon reverted to type (= returned to their usual ways).

2 to return to an earlier topic or subject
So, to revert to your earlier question…
The conversation kept reverting to the events of March 6th.

I wish it gave dates with those quotes.

Posts: 2880 | Location: Shoreline, WA, USA

Ignored post by tinman posted

Geoff

Member

posted

Since the French word for "green is "vert," I thought it meant turn green again.

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti

Posts: 6188 | Location: Muncie, Indiana

Ignored post by Geoff posted

Member

posted

One thing that caught my eye in the OALD definition was the "Indian English, rather formal." So, "I'll revert" is more formal than "I'll get back to you?"

Posts: 2880 | Location: Shoreline, WA, USA

Ignored post by tinman posted

Kalleh

Member

posted

I wondered if "revert" is more formal, too, Tinman.

Posts: 24737 | Location: Chicago, USA

Ignored post by Kalleh posted

Member

posted

Revert with that meaning may be formal in India, but it sounds more like slang around here.

Posts: 2880 | Location: Shoreline, WA, USA

Ignored post by tinman posted

Member

posted

quote:
Originally posted by Geoff:
Since the French word for "green is "vert," I thought it meant turn green again.

Then I guess the trees in your part of the country are "deverting" right now and will "revert" in the spring.

Posts: 2880 | Location: Shoreline, WA, USA

Ignored post by tinman posted