Romansch
PrintA language of Switzerland
35,100 in Switzerland (2000 census). 1 canton. Population total all countries: 35,139.
Southeast borders, Grisons Canton, Surselva valley; Vorderrhein, Hinterrhein valley; Engadine, Val Mustair. Also in United States.
4 (Educational). Statutory provincial language in Grisons Canton (2004, Grisons Cantonal Constitution, Article 3(1)).
Puter (Upper Engadine), Surmiran (Albula), Sursilvan (Surselva, Vorderrhein), Sutsilvan (Hinterrhein), Vallader (Lower Engadine). Friulian [fur], Ladin [lld], and Romansch [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].
Many children learn the language but most become more fluent in German (2007). Also use German [deu].
Official written language in common use now, called Rumantsch Grischun.