Borrowing pronouns

[Frank Rossi]

Lei e Loro in italian were apparently copied from the Spanish usage at the
height of Spanish power in Italy and stand for "Signoria" = my Lord, my
Lady (source Giacomo Devoto).

Yes, Mussolini did try to impose Voi instead of Lei, but he was
unsuccessful.
Today, people still use Lei, but Loro in the plural is often replaced with
Voi, without necessarily implying familiarity which singular "tu" implies.

Regards

Frank Rossi
Bergamo, Italy
iglesias at axia.it