Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site duke.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!mcnc!duke!mgv From: mgv@duke.UUCP (Marco G. Valtorta) Newsgroups: net.nlang,net.women Subject: Re: "Lei" (literally) she = you in Italian Message-ID: <5288@duke.UUCP> Date: Sat, 19-Jan-85 22:37:45 EST Article-I.D.: duke.5288 Posted: Sat Jan 19 22:37:45 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 22-Jan-85 04:54:52 EST References: <641@uwmacc.UUCP> <980@utastro.UUCP> <5242@duke.UUCP>, <1672@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Organization: Duke University Lines: 34 Xref: watmath net.nlang:2456 net.women:4168 In a recent article on this subject, Lee Gold says that "Lei" is used in Italian as a courtesy form for "you," because it stands for "excelenzia," meaning "Excellency." I don't know where he got this information. It does not make much sense to me. In any case, the correct Italian word is "eccellenza." Lee Gold concludes his note by saying that the use of "Lei" does not "seem to have had much effect on enhancing the non-sexual chauvinism of Italian culture." I don't understand what "non-sexual chauvinism" means. I suspect Lee Gold means "male chauvinism." If Mr. Gold is American, he may not know that in Italy a female cannot be paid less that a male doing the same job, and that Italian law prohibits discrimination based on sex. The party that has dominated Italian politics since WW2, the Christian Democratic Party, has consistently been favorable to women's problems and needs. Apart from the above-mentioned anti-discrimination law, one should remember the law that made brothels illegal (1953--written by a woman senator), and pro-family laws, which often, in concrete cases, end up favoring women. For example, in Italy, a family's income tax is no greater than the sum of the taxes that would be payed by its members if they were not married. As another example, there are legal provisions for the working mother that make it possible for her to take longer leaves of absence without pay than in most American companies. The whole community, not just a company, shares the burden of this. Mr. Gold may be confused by the fact that groups of self-defined "feminists," usually members of extreme left parties, attack the CD party. Major among these groups is the "League of Women," an organization for Communist Women.