مریم پیروان

The phatic function is one of the six functions of language that aids in understanding a text and overcoming obstacles to comprehending the speaker's intended meaning. From the perspective of Roman Jakobson, the originator of the six functions of language, each of these functions is related to one of the elements involved in the transmission of a message. The phatic function comes into play when the channel and medium of communication are emphasized in a communicative act. This means that sometimes a text contains expressions whose primary purpose is not to inform, but rather to establish, maintain, conclude, or ensure the functioning of the communication channel. This function is one of the important linguistic dimensions that has received less attention in the analysis of the Quranic text. The main objective of this research is to identify instances of the phatic function in the Quranic text, analyze their frequency and diversity in Meccan and Medinan verses, and conduct a comparative study of exegetical views with this linguistic concept. The research is descriptive-analytical in nature, and the data have been extracted through a comprehensive study of all the Quranic chapters. The findings indicate that there are verses with phatic function in the Quran, and these verses are more prominent in terms of frequency and diversity in the Meccan chapters. The analysis of traditional exegetical views shows that although commentators have touched upon some aspects of the phatic function, there are few significant instances in the exegeses that have precisely and thoroughly addressed this concept. This research demonstrates that the use of this linguistic theory can be an effective tool for a more accurate understanding of the Quran's communicative structure and for resolving some interpretive ambiguities.

Keywords:  Quranic exegesis, phatic function of language, Roman Jakobson, Meccan and Medinan chapters.