Since 1949, great changes have taken place in China. Yet, the Chinese language has changed relatively little in terms of its basic syntax and phonology although some vocabulary changes, such as in forms of address, e. g. tongzhi(同志), xiaojie(小姐), and xiansheng(先生), have occurred. How does this fact(that the world view of a people has changed radically but the language has changed little)relate to the claim that knowing and using a particular language shapes ones world view?