[Vocabulary] Use of the word 'reciprocate'

[tedmc]

'Reciprocate' according to the dictionary, means to respond to a gesture or action by making a corresponding one. It seems to apply to abstract things like a favour, kindness, feelings, wishes, compliments, etc.

Can the word be used with physical things such as, to reciprocate to a letter or message?

 

[Matthew Wai]

Welcome to UsingEnglish.com, tedmc!

... to reciprocate to a letter or message?

I would simply use 'reply to'.

I am not a teacher.

 

[tedmc]

Thanks, Matthew.

I know 'reply to' or 'respond to' can be used with a letter or a message.

But my question is, can 'reciprocate' also be used?

 

[tedmc]

Some input from the teachers will be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[SoothingDave]

No, you can't "reciprocate to" a letter.

 

[tedmc]

So, does that mean reciprocate can only be used for things which are abstract and not for something physical?

I have seen it used for compliments and well wishes which are something like messages, so I thought it may also be used with letters.
After all, the word just means a mutual exchange, doesn't it?

 

[SoothingDave]

You can't "reciprocate to" anything. It doesn't take an object like that.

"She wrote to me and I reciprocated." That is fine.

 

[tedmc]

But one can reciprocate (to) another's favours, kindness, gestures, wishes, right?

She wrote to me and I reciprocated. I wrote back. Correct?

 

[BobK]

Try googling "reciprocating engine". That usage is the only one I know of that uses reciprocate in a physical sense (and it doesn't use the verb in any other form).

That said, it would make sense if someone said 'I pulled his hand, but he didn't reciprocate"; it would just be more natural to say 'I pulled his hand, but he didn't pull back".

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[SoothingDave]

I wouldn't say I "reciprocated to" anything.

You could say "I reciprocated his greeting," but not "I reciprocated to his greeting."

 

[lotus888]

Try "with":

She reciprocated with a smile.

I asked her to reciprocate with an email.

I reciprocated with a gift.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/reciprocate



--lotus

 

[tedmc]

I wouldn't say I "reciprocated to" anything.

You could say "I reciprocated his greeting," but not "I reciprocated to his greeting."

So, can I say "I reciprocated his message" then ?

I reciprocated his message with an e-mail. Correct?

I know this is going from the realm of abstract, which the word is associated with, to the physical. This is what makes the use of the word confusing.
'Reciprocate' is similar to 'respond' but while you can say 'you respond to something' you cannot say 'you reciprocate to something'.

 

[tedmc]

Can I have some feedback from the teachers on the two questions above. Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

I find that use of "reciprocate" very unnatural. It's not used as a replacement for "to reply/respond to". It is, as the original post said, to meet a gesture or an act with the same one, to respond in kind.

He smiled at me. I reciprocated. (I smiled at him.)
She wrote me a letter and I reciprocated. (I wrote her a letter.)
I did him a favour and he reciprocated. (He did me a favour.)

 

[Matthew Wai]

Is it acceptable to say 'I reciprocated his gift with a meal'?

Not a teacher.

 

[BobK]

Some input from the teachers will be much appreciated. Thanks.

Can I have some feedback from the teachers on the two questions above. Thank you.

This is not a paid service. Even with a paid service you couldn't expect an answer within a few hours; I have done online courses when I didn't hear from my tutor for days (and these were courses that cost more than £1,000). I don't come here to be harassed. This is the last you'll hear from me in this thread. :-|

b

 

[emsr2d2]

Tedmc, please stop chasing replies. We are all volunteers, we are busy with our own lives and there are a lot of threads to deal with. Your queries are no more important than anyone else's. Also, remember that not only teachers give good replies. We have plenty of non-teachers and very competent non-native speakers who can, and do, respond to your questions.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

There are other examples of 'reciprocating XXX' along the lines of reciprocating engine and the most common one is reciprocating saw. They invariably involve a repetitive back and forth motion e.g. reciprocating pump/compressor, and the like.

 

[BobK]

Yes - my answer was over-restrictive. (Not for the first time!)

b