English
phatic
Phatic comes from Ancient Greek φατός ‘spoken’, from φημί ‘I say’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak, say’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéh₂ti‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰā́mi‘to speak’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφημίphēmí‘I say’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφατόςphatós‘spoken’
- Englishearliest quotation 1978phatic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak, say’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéh₂ti‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰā́mi‘to speak’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφημίphēmí‘I say’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEφατόςphatós‘spoken’
- Englishearliest quotation 1978phatic
Earliest quotation: 1978, Anthony Burgess: “Generally speaking, statements in WE are expected to be…”
Formed from -ic
The story
Probably formally influenced by emphatic, which predates this term.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak, say’
phone, focus, professor, famous, fuel, ben, favor, favourite, ban, fantasy, fancy, fame, profession, photographer, phase, bee, fairy, fate, abandon, infant, phenomenon, confession, fatal, confess, emphasis, beacon, beck, symphony, boon, phantom, fay, bane, foyer, banish, buoy, nefarious, profess, fantasia, bene, banal, 122 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰéh₂ti ‘to speak’
fabulous, eff, fab, fable, 17 more
through Ancient Greek φημί ‘I say’
prophetic, prophesy, prophetess, 3 more
through Ancient Greek φατός ‘spoken’
Today it means
adj Pertaining to words used to convey any kind of social relationship and whose meaning is otherwise either deemphasized or absent.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / phatic