reciprocate
to give something back in return
TRANSLATION
reciprocate = erwidern, vergelten, einen Gefallen erwidern, eine Gegenleistung erbringen, wechselseitig geben, hin- und herbewegen (tech.) (woerterbuch.info, DH) --- GOOGLE INDEX reciprocate: approximately 2,600,000 hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on Friday called on the Maoist rebels in Nepal to extend its four-month-old unilateral cease-fire after it expires on Jan. 2 and called on the Nepalese government to RECIPROCATE the cease-fire, saying that he is ''seriously concerned'' that the fighting could escalate.
(Asian Political News)
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If God created us in his own image, we have more than RECIPROCATED.
- Voltaire
(Asian Political News)
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If God created us in his own image, we have more than RECIPROCATED.
- Voltaire
Did you
know?
reciprocate
transitive verb:
- to give or take mutually; interchange
- to show, feel, or give in response or return
intransitive verb:
- to move back and forth alternately.
- to give and take something mutually.
- to make a return for something given or done.
- to be complementary or equivalent.
(The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000)
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WORD ORIGIN
Etymology: from around 1611. Likely a back formation from the noun reciprocation, the act of reciprocating, which is borrowed from the Latin reciprocationem (nominative reciprocatio) meaning retrogression, alternation, ebb, from reciprocare (to move back and forth, alternate) and from reciprocus (alternating).
A simple way to explain reciprocate is to refer to the phrase "you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours". In other words, do me a favour and I’ll return it one day. This "give and take" is the politician’s most oft-used tool, or weapon depending on the circumstances. Without reciprocating, hardly any politician is in a position to push through a piece of legislation on behalf of his constituents.
A coalition, in which opposing political parties share power because neither has the required number of seats in parliament for a pure majority, represents reciprocation on a large scale. Without the so-called back scratching, nothing would ever be achieved, leading to stalemates and lots of frustrated voters wondering what their political representatives are getting paid to do.
Likewise, good sales people know the value of reciprocating. The programmer who worked overtime to add a product feature demanded by a customer will be more willing to help in the future if he is invited to lunch from time to time. Which brings to us another expression, "the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach!"
(sources: The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology)
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IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
"Unless we reciprocate by agreeing to take on more of the project workload, we will risk losing the partnership over the long term."
transitive verb:
- to give or take mutually; interchange
- to show, feel, or give in response or return
intransitive verb:
- to move back and forth alternately.
- to give and take something mutually.
- to make a return for something given or done.
- to be complementary or equivalent.
(The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000)
---
WORD ORIGIN
Etymology: from around 1611. Likely a back formation from the noun reciprocation, the act of reciprocating, which is borrowed from the Latin reciprocationem (nominative reciprocatio) meaning retrogression, alternation, ebb, from reciprocare (to move back and forth, alternate) and from reciprocus (alternating).
A simple way to explain reciprocate is to refer to the phrase "you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours". In other words, do me a favour and I’ll return it one day. This "give and take" is the politician’s most oft-used tool, or weapon depending on the circumstances. Without reciprocating, hardly any politician is in a position to push through a piece of legislation on behalf of his constituents.
A coalition, in which opposing political parties share power because neither has the required number of seats in parliament for a pure majority, represents reciprocation on a large scale. Without the so-called back scratching, nothing would ever be achieved, leading to stalemates and lots of frustrated voters wondering what their political representatives are getting paid to do.
Likewise, good sales people know the value of reciprocating. The programmer who worked overtime to add a product feature demanded by a customer will be more willing to help in the future if he is invited to lunch from time to time. Which brings to us another expression, "the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach!"
(sources: The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology)
---
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
"Unless we reciprocate by agreeing to take on more of the project workload, we will risk losing the partnership over the long term."
