2. Definition of phatic communion.

The term “phatic” was first mentioned by the English Polish scientist B. Malinovsky in 1923. In his work, Malinovsky introduced the concept of “phatic communion”, which means communication with the aim to establish and maintain contact. At the same time there is no exchange of information, and statements are used to perform social functions:

“They perform a social function, which is their principal goal. They are not the result of intellectual reflection and do not necessarily cause such a reflection from the interlocutor. Language does not function here as a means of transmitting thought. ” (Malinowski, 1923).

In 1960 r.O. Jacobson singled out a phatic or contact-contact language function:

“There are messages whose main purpose is to establish, continue or interrupt communication, check whether the communication channel is working (“ Hello, do you hear me? ”), Get the interlocutor’s attention or make sure that he is listening attentively (“ are you listening? ”Or in the words of Shakespeare, “Leave me your ears!”, and on the other end of the line: “Yes, yes!”). This focus on contact, or, in terms of Malinowski, a phatic function, is carried out through the exchange of ritual formulas or even entire dialogues, the sole purpose of which is to maintain communication”. (Jacobson, 1975).

One can mention phatic communion in saying vocables or words to perform the act of uttering, for example, noises of certain types belonging to vocabulary, in a certain construction, conforming to and as conforming to a certain grammar, with a certain intonation. This act we may call a 'phatic' act, and the utterance which it is the act of uttering a 'pheme' (as distinct from the phememe of linguistic theory); The phatic act is the uttering of certain vocables or words, i.e. noises of certain types, belonging to and as belonging to, a certain vocabulary, conforming to and as conforming to a certain grammar. (Austin, 1962).

The phatic function of language operates, being involved in the starting/initiating, maintaining and terminating the communicative act, makes a significant contribution to the process of business interaction.

It should be added that phatic function operates at both microstructural level (to identify and understand the manifestation of the phatic function at microstructural level, one should not forget that communication is, in fact, a face-to-face conversation between two or more persons), ensuring opening of the communication channel and at macro-structural level (series of utterances, their sequence in the flow of discussion), where it helps interlocutors to check if the channel is open, to confirm their participation in the discussion, to maintain/ prolong communication, to signal their intention to interrupt or end communication. (Chiga, 2008).

3. The role of vocative in phatic communion.

There are different functions of vocative in communication. First of all it is necessary to give the definition to communication situation. It is a situation, where there are two participants, - the speaker and the addressee. It should be noticed, that the situation does not exist without one of these participants. Both of them must realize the role in the act of communication. The condition if somebody says something and there is somebody as the addressee, is not enough for establishment of the communication situation. If somebody talks to someone else and uses pronouns, the second participant must be aware that the message is addressed to him, not to other individual.

So, the first function of the vocative is to establish the communication situation. It is a Call-function. The speaker, who wants to begin the communication act, must be aware that: he attracts the attention of the addressee, the addressee realizes his role in the communication situation. There are two means, with the help of which it is possible to identify the addressee: linguistic (interjections – hey, hello; pronouns – you; complex forms – you there) and non-linguistic (whistling, throat clearing and gesticulation). But the communication to work, there must be additional conditions, for example, when a speaker says “hey”, both participants of the supposed communication situation should be alone in a room for the addressee understand that he is the addressee. But in other situations the addressee must be aware that he is the individual the speaker means. This can be done by two means: linguistic (using names – Tom, Bob; titles – professor, doctor; descriptions – the boy with the book) and non-linguistic (eye-contact, pointing gesture).

So, using, for example, names, the speaker can identify the addressee. To make the communication situation, the speaker should attract the attention of the addressee and then identify him. Here, the function of the vocative is to get the attention of the chosen addressee and identify him.

The second function of the vocative is confirmation of the addressee-status. It should be said that not all expressions, representing vocative, must be located in front of the utterance. Some may be in the middle:

The waste disposal, Maria, is coming the day after tomorrow.

Such positions can be considered to be vocative expressions as well. It is necessary to remember, that the communication situation is already established, and the function of the vocative in this case is confirmation.

The third function of the vocative is to represent the nominative. For example, the situation in a museum, there are three men in front of the speaker, but he does not know the names, but can say to attract attention:

I can’t remember you.

In this case the vocative is used in the role of nominative. (Sonnenhauser, 2013).

In conclusion it must be said that there are given definitions to the vocative, phatic communion, there is determined the role of vocative in phatic communion. The vocative is a word or phrase used to address someone directly. Phatic communication is verbal or non-verbal means of communication that has a social function, such as to start a conversation, greet someone, or say goodbye, rather than an informative function. There are three main functions that vocative fulfills in phatic communion: Call function, Confirmation function and vocative in the function of nominative. The role of vocative in phatic communion is to establish communication situation.

1. Collins Dictionary (electronic resource). - https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/vocative

2. Andrews E. Russian. Seelrc, 2001. – 141 p.

3. Malinowski B. “The Problem of Meaning in Primitive Languages”. — London: Kegan Paul, Trench and Trubner. — 1923. — С. pp. 296-336.

4. Gerhard Schaden. Vocatives: A Note on Addressee-Management. Volume 16 Issue 1 Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Penn Linguistics Colloquium. Article 20. University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics. pp. 176-183.

5. Jacobson R. Linguistics and poetics, in the book: Structuralism: “pro” and “against”. - M., 1975. - pp. 193-230.

6. Sonnenhauser B. Vocative! Addressing between system and performance // B. Sonnenhauser, P. N. Hanna. Walter de Gruyter, 2013. – 329 p.

7. Austin. J. L. How to do things with words. Oxford University Press, 1962. – 174 p.

8. Chiga G. The phatic function of communication in Romanian business negotiations. Synergy volume 4, no. 2/2008.