phatic
English
editEtymology
editFrom Ancient Greek φατός (phatós, “spoken”) - from φημί (phēmí, “I say”) - + -ic.
Probably formally influenced by emphatic, which predates this term.
Pronunciation
editAdjective
editExamples |
---|
|
phatic (comparative more phatic, superlative most phatic)
- (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.”
Derived terms
editTranslations
editpertaining to words used to convey any kind of social relationship
See also
editNoun
editphatic (plural phatics)
- (linguistics) A phatic utterance.