Language Information by Source

Romansh Facts & Figures

2004. "Romansh Facts & Figures." edited by Manfred Gross. Online: http://www.liarumantscha.ch/data/media/pdf/facts_figures/facts_figures_….

Vulnerable
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~60,000
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends

Speaker Number Trend 2

A majority of community members speak the language. Speaker numbers are gradually decreasing.

2
Domains of Use

Domain Of Use -1

Used in most domains, including official ones such as government, mass media, education, etc.

-1
Transmission

Transmission 1

Most adults in the community, and some children, are speakers.

1

Speakers

Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
No results found.
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
No results found.
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
In 1938, Romansh was recognised as a national language in addition to French, German and Italian. With the recognition of Romansh as a partially official language in 1996, it has now been placed on the same footing as Switzerland’s other three official languages as far as certain matters are concerned.

Location and Context

Countries
Switzerland, most notably in Canton Graubünden
Location Description

In Canton Graubünden, the territory in which Romansh has traditionally been spoken is comprised of five regions. Surselva occupies the large sector in the northwest of the canton. In Central Graubünden, Romansh used to be spoken in the Domleschg/Tumleastga and Heinzenberg/Mantogna regions and is still spoken today in parts of the Val Schons (Schams), Surmeir (Oberhalbstein) and the Albula Valley. The Engadin and the Val Müstair (Münstertal) form the southeastern Romansh language territory.

Government Support
Official language
Institutional Support
In Graubünden, the communes have the autonomy to determine their own administrative and school languages. Romansh may be either a language of tuition or a subject taught.
Speakers' Attitude
No results found.
Other Languages Used By The Community
German, Italian, French, and various other non-national languages
Number of Other Language Speakers:
All speakers of Romansh are multilingual
Domains of Other Languages:
None

Writing Systems

Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
No results found.
Other writing systems used:
No results text.
Comments on writing systems:
The Romansh language territory in Graubünden includes Surselva (the regions along the valley of the Rein Anteriur or Vorderrhein), certain parts of Sutselva (Hinterrhein), Surmeir and the Albula Valley (Oberhalbstein), Upper Engadin, Lower Engadin and the Val Müstair. Each of these regions has its own idiom. The five idioms are considered as written Romansh languages. These written languages cannot, however, cover the whole panoply of spoken dialects. Dozens of such local dialects make the Romansh linguistic atlas into a confusing microcosm. In 1982, Rumantsch Grischun, a supra-regional written Romansh language, came into being and in 1996 it was declared to be an official administrative and court language of the Swiss Confederation and Canton Graubünden.

Community Members