ABSTRACT
Looking at pragmatics in past times is the subject matter of historical pragmatics, a developing area with its own journal, The Journal of Historical Pragmatics. Those interested in Shakespeare have also turned their attention to pragmatic matters, and there are a number of studies which concentrate on specific rules of use in Renaissance English. The way of greeting in China is different from the way of greeting in Britain, so the rules are not universal. Professional people could be addressed as master. A common use of the word mistress today is to describe a woman involved in an extra-marital sexual relationship. Its main sense in Shakespeare implied status. Terms of endearment form a fascinating category of address forms, and one of the more interesting word is bully which in the Renaissance meant fine fellow or good friend. Since they deal with the sensitive area of human relationships, it was important for the Renaissance person to master the system of etiquette.
