Comments on: “Lei” part 2: a brief history http://www.transparent.com/italian/a-brief-history-of-lei/ Language and Culture of the Italian-Speaking World Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:41:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Mauro http://www.transparent.com/italian/a-brief-history-of-lei/#comment-7 Mauro Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:06:54 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/italian/?p=11#comment-7 I read your article with interest. For the sake of argument, "lei" was introduced by Italian Renaissance courts but later reinforced by the presence of Spain in the Italian peninsula. Voi was not really a fascist form of address, it existed before as a go-between "tu" (very informal) and "lei" (very formal). Voi is sometimes used by older speakers in southern Italy (a vernacular usage) and is no longer Italian. Mauro Baglieri I read your article with interest. For the sake of argument, “lei” was introduced by Italian Renaissance courts but later reinforced by the presence of Spain in the Italian peninsula. Voi was not really a fascist form of address, it existed before as a go-between “tu” (very informal) and “lei” (very formal). Voi is sometimes used by older speakers in southern Italy (a vernacular usage) and is no longer Italian.

Mauro Baglieri

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