A Preliminary Study Of Address Forms

This thesis is a preliminary study of address forms. It is multi-layer and multi-angle, not too much specific on any particular factor. Mainly focusing on sociolinguistic and pragmatic side, it is aslo involved with other fields such as sociology and cultrual comparison. It is composed of eight chapters. The first one is Introduction, stating the importance and significance of address forms. Influential studies on address forms are highlighted in Chapter Two. Then it introduces the social factors governing the proper choice of address forms, its pragmatic functions, the gender difference reflected in the usage of address forms, its change, the different cultural connotation mirrored by different kin-term systems. The last chapter is Conclusion.