phatic communion
English
[edit]Noun
[edit]phatic communion (uncountable)
- (linguistics) Communication that takes place primarily for social purposes rather than for the exchange of vital information, such as small talk and social pleasantries.
- 2019, Li Huang, James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, , page 8:
- We believe that it is in this spoken world, where people engage in phatic communion and indulge in the give-and-take of interpersonal socialising and the negotiation of personality, identity, friendship and connection [...] that one can best get a view of language vitality.