Abstract:

As an address-form, "Tongzhi" was used most frequently in language communication on the mainland China in the last half period of the 20th century. Today, it is not only the most important word used in the political discourse but also regarded as one of the most basic pan-honorific in social groups in China. But along with the social changes, the semantic function and pragmatic constraints of "Tongzhi" have changed as well.

Key words: Tongzhi (comrade), pan-honorific, political linguistirs, protocol