c. 1300, "to come to oneself again," from Old French revertir "return, change back," from Vulgar Latin *revertire, variant of Latin revertere "turn back, turn about; come back, return," from re- "back" (see re-) + vertere "to turn" (from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend"). Of position or property from mid-15c.; application to customs and ideas is from 1610s.
