Borrowing pronouns

[maher, johnpeter]

More:

1. In northern Italy there was dislike for the southern etiquette with
<tu/Voi> instead of <tu> vs. <Lei/Loro>. A driver stopped by the Polizia
Stradale -- cops, typically serve far from home, where they might sympathize
with the locals -- could be toyed with, given the pronominal sociology. The
northern speeder could address the cop, in full compliance with the
Mussolinian etiquette, with <Voi>, with both parties knowing full well that
the northerner scorned both the usage and the cop from the south.

2. As of 1960, in the Veneto, dialect speakers were uncomfortable with the
feminine pronoun <Lei> in addressing a man. They address a man with their
masculine pronoun <Lu>.

jpm
..........................................
Frank Rossi wrote:

> 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.