THE factual function, also called the contact function, is the language function that emphasizes the channel or vehicle of communication, in order to keep the communication act going, or that is, when the sender (speaker) seeks strategies to maintain the interaction with the receiver (interlocutor).
Read too: Elements present in the acts of communication
Characteristics of the phatic function
The phatic function of the language is quite marked by expressions of greeting, farewell, as well as the use of vocatives, which indicate that the sender (speaker) wishes to draw the attention of the receiver (speaker) so that the Communication.
When wishing “good morning”, or even when the teacher, in the classroom, asks “Got it?”, we notice the desire for the interaction to follow its course. From “hello” to “goodbye”, from “good morning” to “good night”, we see that the human being is really the one who speaks and that our social ties are strengthened when faced with the need to communicate.
Very clearly, it is possible to see the phatic function in the orality. The speakers' own intonation can mark the resource of maintaining communication. At verbal language writing, there are often more difficulties in checking the operation of the channel, however, we noticed the use of several methods - mainly by the authors of the Literature – which are consolidated as efficient ways to demonstrate this direct relationship between speaker and interlocutor.
Let's see how Machado de Assis works this function in its magnificent writing, building, throughout the text, the interlocution:
"Look, I could even tell you my whole life, where there are other interesting things, but for that it was I need time, courage and role, and I only have role: the mood is slack, and time is like the lamp of dawn. Soon the sun of the other day, a devil's sun, impenetrable as life. goodbye my dear sir, read this to me and love me: forgive me what seems bad to you, and don't mistreat rue too much if it doesn't smell like roses. He asked me for a human document and here it is. Don't ask me either for the empire of the Grand-Mogol, or for the photography of the Maccabees, but ask for my dead shoes and I will not give them to anyone else."
(Machado de Assis. The nurse)
Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
Also in Dom Casmurro, Machado de Assis establishes the discourse of storyteller in conversation with readers:
"Me, friend reader, I accept my old Marcolini's theory, not only because of the verisimilitude, which is often the whole truth, but because my life fits well with the definition. I sang a technical duo, then a trio, then a four... But let's not go forward; Let's go to the first part, in which I came to know that I was already singing, because José Dias' denunciation, my dear reader, was mostly given to me. He denounced me to me.
(Machado de Assis in Dom Casmurro)
Finally, we present another example of a literary text, by the author Luis Fernando Verissimo, in which the factual function of language contributes to the construction of humor in the text. Throughout the dialogue, the characters seek to understand the code, but striving so that the communicative act does not end.
Communication
It's important to know the names of things. Or at least know how to communicate what you want. Imagine walking into a store to buy a... a... what's the name again?
"May I help you, gentleman?"
"He can. I want one of those, those..."
"May I help?"
"One... what's the name again?"
"Yea?"
"Dove! One... a... What a head of mine. The word completely escaped me. It's a simple thing, very well known."
"Yes sir."
"You'll laugh when you find out."
"Yes sir."
"Look, it's pointed, right?"
"What, gentleman?"
[...]
"Call the manager."
"It won't be necessary, gentleman. I'm sure we can reach an agreement. This thing you want, what is it made of?"
"It's from, I don't know. Of metal."
"Very well. Of metal. Does it move?"
"Well... It's like that. Pay attention to my hands. It's like this, fold here and fit the end, like this."
"Is there more than one piece? Is it already assembled?"
"It's one piece. I'm pretty sure it's one piece."
"Quite frankly..."
"But it's simple! A simple thing. Look: like, like, a turn here, it comes, it comes, another loop and click, it fits."
"Ah, there is click. It's electric."
"No! Click, which I say is the snapping noise."
"I already know!"
"Excellent!"
"You want an outdoor television antenna."
"No! Listen here. Let's try again..."
"Let's try on the other hand. For what you serve?"
"This is how to arrest. He understands? A sharp thing that holds. You stick the pointy end through here, fit the end into the groove, and hold the two parts of one thing."
"Right. These instruments you are looking for work more or less like a gigantic safety pin and..."
"But that's it! That's it! A safety pin!"
"But the way you described it, it seemed a huge thing, gentleman!"
"It's just that I'm kind of expansive. See me there a... a... What's the name again?"
Source: VERÍSSIMO, Luis Fernando. Communication. In: TO enjoy reading, v.7. 3rd ed. São Paulo: Attica, 1982. P. 35-37.
Good communication is one in which users of a language build a solidary context among themselves, striving for the communicative act to take place without noises. In this sense, the factual or contact function is of great importance.
Know more: Poetic function: enunciative focus on the message
Exercise solved
- Identify the predominant language function in the following text:
"May I help you, gentleman?"
"He can. I want one of those, those..."
"May I help?"
"One... what's the name again?"
"Yea?"
(Luis Fernando Veríssimo)
- metalinguistic function
- conative function
- phatic function
- Emotional function
Solution
The phatic function is present when the characters initiate the communicative act and maintains it with expressions such as “I can help you, gentleman” and “Well, no?”.
By Sara de Castro Cândido
grammar teacher
