Romansh

Romansh is a Romance language spoken in the Swiss canton of Graubünden (Grisons). It is one of Switzerland’s four national languages and, within Graubünden, an official language alongside German and Italian. Estimates place the number of speakers at around 60,000 to 70,000, making it the least widely spoken national language in Switzerland.

Linguistically, Romansh is descended from Vulgar Latin and is part of the Italo-Romance branch of Romance. Within the Raeto-Romance grouping, it forms a distinct language associated with the Alpine regions. It developed from several Latin-speaking communities in the valley areas and remains marked by strong regional variation.

Dialects and standardization: There are five main dialect groups—Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Putèr, and Vallader. A standardized written form, Rumantsch Grischun, was created in the 1980s and is used in some educational and administrative settings, while many speakers use their local dialects in everyday life.

Script and usage: Romansh is written in the Latin alphabet, with diacritics to indicate vowels and stress. In Graubünden, the language receives official support and is taught in schools; at the federal level, it is recognized as one of Switzerland’s national languages, though its use varies by region.