Romansh | Ethnologue

A language of Switzerland

ISO 639: roh
Alternate Names: Rhaeto-Romance, Rheto-Romance, Romanche, Romansch
Autonym: Rumantsch
Population: 40,000 (2012 census). 1 canton.
Location:: Graubünden canton: Hinterrhein, Inn, Maloja, and Surselva districts.
Language Status: 2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Grisons Canton (2004, Grisons Cantonal Constitution, Article 3(1)).
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Rhaetian
Dialects: Vallader (Lower Engadine), Puter (Upper Engadine), Sursilvan (Surselva, Vorderrhein), Sutsilvan (Hinterrhein), Surmiran (Albula). Friulian [fur], Ladin [lld], and Romansh [roh] are separate languages (1978 R. Hall). Lexical similarity: 78% with Italian [ita] and French [fra]; 76% with Catalan [cat]; 74% with Spanish [spa], Sardinian [sdc], and Portuguese [por]; 72% with Romanian [ron].
Language Use: Many children learn the language but most become more fluent in German (Salminen 2007). Also use Standard German [deu].
Language Development: Taught in primary schools. Newspapers. Bible: 1679–1953.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Romansh
Writing: Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments: Official written language in common use now, called Rumantsch Grischun.

Location: Graubünden canton: Hinterrhein, Inn, Maloja, and Surselva districts.