In all societies, both simple and complex, eating is the primary way of initiating and maintaining human relationships. In fact, the English word "companion" is derived from French and Latin words that mean "one who eats bread with another." The Bantu of southern Africa regard exchanging food as the formation of what amounts to a temporary covenant between individuals—a "clanship of porridge," as they call it. For most Chinese, social transactions are almost inseparable from eating transactions. The giving and sharing of food is the prototypic relationship in Chinese society, as if the word were literally made flesh. Only a Chinese living alone and in abject poverty would sit down to a solitary meal. It is usual to eat with one's family or kin; when these are unavailable, people eat in teashops or at work rather than by themselves. No important business transaction and no marriage arrangement is ever concluded without the sharing of food. The quality of the meal and its setting convey a more subtle social message than anything that is consciously verbalized; attitudes that would be impolite if stated directly are communicated through the food channel.