From: utzoo!decvax!watmath!jcwinterton
Newsgroups: net.followup
Title: Re: English language
Article-I.D.: watmath.2411
Posted: Mon May 17 11:54:15 1982
Received: Tue May 18 01:54:41 1982
References: ihnss.3422


Further to Mike Morgan's article on second person pronouns, in Italian
the "tu" form is strictly familiar and used for family of equal and lower
rank, comrades and girl friends (after agreement).  "Voi is used as an
intra-familial form of respect for uncles, aunts, parents, grandparents etc.
The real formal form is "lei" which is the third person, feminine singular.
As I recall it, my Italian prof said is is drivied from the phrase
"Spero que la vostra signoria sta bene" (I hope your highness is well).
Signoria is feminine and so the pronoun is "lei" (she, her).  When you
hear newly arrived Italian speakers who are learning English, it is common
to hear them say "How's she going". (come state lei).  I don't know how
things are in Italy currently, but I suspect modern life has eroded a log
s/log/lot/
of formalisms now.
					John Winterton.