phatic

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phatic

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From Ancient Greek φατός (phatós, “spoken”) - from φημί (phēmí, “I say”) - +‎ -ic.

Probably formally influenced by emphatic, which predates this term.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfætɪk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ætɪk

phatic (comparative more phatic, superlative most phatic)

1. (linguistics) Pertaining to words used to convey any kind of social relationship.
   • 1978, Anthony Burgess, 1985:

     Generally speaking, statements in WE are expected to be of a tautologous nature, thus fulfilling the essential phatic nature of speech.

   • 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage, published 2007, page 467:

     Dispensing with phatic chitchat, he began straightaway to tell the story of his “people.”

• phatic communion

• emphatic
• platitude

phatic (plural phatics)

1. (linguistics) A phatic utterance.

• -pathic, haptic, pathic