phatic communion
【正确答案】：Phatic communion is the communication between people which is not intended to seek or convey information but has the social function of establishing or maintaining social contact. Usually, when we meet familiar people, we may comment on the weather or enquire about health as a way of maintaining social contact.
This kind of communication also takes place between strangers who meet for the first time. When two Englishmen who have never met before come face to face in a railway compartment, they may start talking about the weather.
