Which term is used to describe language that serves to smooth social relations and has an interpersonal function?

• A. Phatic Language
• B. Face Validity
• C. Display Questions
• D. Ellipsis

Answer: (A)

Phatic language is language whose main purpose is to establish and maintain social bonds rather than to convey new information. It functions to smooth interactions, show politeness, and keep conversation going, focusing on interpersonal rapport. Examples include greetings like “Hi, how are you?” or small talks about the weather, as well as conversational cues like “uh-huh” that acknowledge the other person without adding substantive content. This interpersonal function—maintaining harmony and connection—is what sets phatic language apart from other types of language.

Face validity isn’t about how language functions socially; it refers to whether a test or measure appears to assess what it intends to, at face value. Display questions are a survey tool used to prompt or reveal responses, not about social smoothing. Ellipsis is the omission of words in a sentence, a grammatical feature, and doesn’t inherently describe the social-relational role of language.