Metatalk

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Analysis or commentary regarding the form and structure of verbal exchanges
2. A discussion focusing on how communication occurs and the frameworks behind it
3. Conversation or debate concerning the methods and rules governing interactions

Etymology: "Metatalk" is a plain compound, built from the Greek prefix "meta-" joined to "talk." In Greek, "meta" carried senses of "after," "beyond," or "about," and in modern English coinages it signals a discussion one level removed from the subject itself. So "metatalk" is talk about talk: commentary on how a conversation is being conducted rather than on its content. The pattern is the same as "metadata," which is data about data. The word's usefulness lies in that single step upward. When participants in a discussion start debating whether an argument is being framed fairly, or whether a meeting's rules are working, they are engaging in metatalk, and the term gives a name to that move. It has become especially common in online forums and community moderation, where people often need to step outside a thread to address its tone or structure.