Where does “lei” come from?

lei (Italian) comes from Latin illaei, from Latin illī, from Latin ille, from Latin olle, from Proto-Italic *olnos — that.

lei (Italian): she; her; it

Definitions

  1. she; her; it

Ancestry of “lei”, step by step

lei traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Latin illaei

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinillaeiher dative singular feminine
2Latinillīfound in
3Latinillethat; those; "; demonstrative pronoun "; that...
4LatinolleArchaic form of ille
5Proto-Italic*olnosthat

via Vulgar Latin illei

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vulgar Latinillei
Every word from Proto-Italic *olnosEvery word from Latin olleEvery word from Latin ille
lei — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer