phatic
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
phatic /ˈfatɪk/
▶adjective (of language) used for general social interaction rather than to convey specific meaning, e.g. nice morning, isn't it?
– origin 1920s: from Gk phatos ‘spoken’ or phatikos ‘affirming’.
'phatic' also found in these Oxford entries:
