Language
Languages of Switzerland
Swiss Confederation. 7,689,100. National or official languages: French, Standard German, Italian, Romansch. Literacy rate: 99%. Also includes Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Catalan-Valencian-Balear, English (73,000), Iu Mien (200), Kirmanjki, Northern Kurdish (35,135), Portuguese (86,000), Serbian (142,000), Spanish (117,000), Tai Nüa, Tibetan (1,434), Turkish (53,000), Western Yiddish, Yeniche. Information mainly from M. Stephens 1976; W. Moulton 1985; B. Comrie 1987; C. Buchli 1999. Blind population: 9,000. Deaf population: 7,200 to 426,835 (1998). Deaf institutions: 45. The number of languages listed for Switzerland is 12. Of those, all are living languages.
Franco-Provençal
[frp] 7,000 in Valais Canton, Switzerland (1998). French cantons of Valais, Fribourg, and Vaud. Alternate names: Patois. Dialects: Savoyard, Neuch-Telois, Valaisan, Vaudois. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, Southeastern.
French
[fra] 1,272,000 in Switzerland (1990 census). Western Switzerland. Alternate names: Français. Dialects: Franche-Comtois (Jurassien, Fribourgois). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French.
German, Standard
[deu] Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German.
Italian
[ita] 195,000 in Switzerland (1990). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.
Lombard
[lmo] 303,000 in Switzerland (1995). Ticino Canton and Graubünden in the Mesolcina District and two districts south of St. Moritz, central southeast Switzerland. Dialects: Ticinese (Ticino, Tessinian, Ticines, Ticinees). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.
Romani, Sinte
[rmo] 21,000 in Switzerland (1993 Johnstone). Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Northern.
Romansch
[roh] 40,000 (1990 census). Borders of Switzerland, Austria, Italy; Graubünden Canton, Grisons valley of Surselva, valley of Voderrhein; Engadin and Val Mustair, southeast Switzerland. Alternate names: Rheto-Romance, Rhaeto-Romance, Romansh, Romanche. Dialects: Lower Engadine (Vallader-Lower Engadine, Grisons), Upper Engadine (Puter-Upper Engadine), Sursilvan (Surselva, Sutsilvan-Hinterrhein), Sursilvan-Oberland, Surmiran-Albula. Friulian, Ladin, and Romansch are separate languages (R. A. Hall, Jr., personal communication 1978). Lexical similarity 78% with Italian and French, 76% with Catalan, 74% with Spanish, Sardinian, and Portuguese, 72% with Romanian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Rhaetian.
Schwyzerdütsch
[gsw] 4,215,000 in Switzerland (1990 census). Population total all countries: 6,044,000. Central, south central, north central, northeast, and eastern cantons. Also spoken in Austria, France, Germany, Liechtenstein. Alternate names: Alemannisch. Dialects: Bern (Bärndütsch), Zurich, Lucerne, Basel, Obwald, Appenzell, St. Gallen, Graubenden-Grisons (Valserisch), Wallis. Swiss varieties are High Alemannisch (most) and Highest Alemannisch (several in central Switzerland). Not functionally intelligible to speakers of Standard German. Each canton has a separate variety, many of which are unintelligible to each other's speakers. Only a few of the 20 to 70 varieties are listed as dialects (subdialects). Close to Schwäbisch in south central Germany. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Alemannic.
_____________
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=CH
Swiss Confederation. 7,689,100. National or official languages: French, Standard German, Italian, Romansch. Literacy rate: 99%. Also includes Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Catalan-Valencian-Balear, English (73,000), Iu Mien (200), Kirmanjki, Northern Kurdish (35,135), Portuguese (86,000), Serbian (142,000), Spanish (117,000), Tai Nüa, Tibetan (1,434), Turkish (53,000), Western Yiddish, Yeniche. Information mainly from M. Stephens 1976; W. Moulton 1985; B. Comrie 1987; C. Buchli 1999. Blind population: 9,000. Deaf population: 7,200 to 426,835 (1998). Deaf institutions: 45. The number of languages listed for Switzerland is 12. Of those, all are living languages.
Living languages
Franco-Provençal
[frp] 7,000 in Valais Canton, Switzerland (1998). French cantons of Valais, Fribourg, and Vaud. Alternate names: Patois. Dialects: Savoyard, Neuch-Telois, Valaisan, Vaudois. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, Southeastern.
French
[fra] 1,272,000 in Switzerland (1990 census). Western Switzerland. Alternate names: Français. Dialects: Franche-Comtois (Jurassien, Fribourgois). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French.
German, Standard
[deu] Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German.
Italian
[ita] 195,000 in Switzerland (1990). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.
Lombard
[lmo] 303,000 in Switzerland (1995). Ticino Canton and Graubünden in the Mesolcina District and two districts south of St. Moritz, central southeast Switzerland. Dialects: Ticinese (Ticino, Tessinian, Ticines, Ticinees). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.
Romani, Sinte
[rmo] 21,000 in Switzerland (1993 Johnstone). Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Northern.
Romansch
[roh] 40,000 (1990 census). Borders of Switzerland, Austria, Italy; Graubünden Canton, Grisons valley of Surselva, valley of Voderrhein; Engadin and Val Mustair, southeast Switzerland. Alternate names: Rheto-Romance, Rhaeto-Romance, Romansh, Romanche. Dialects: Lower Engadine (Vallader-Lower Engadine, Grisons), Upper Engadine (Puter-Upper Engadine), Sursilvan (Surselva, Sutsilvan-Hinterrhein), Sursilvan-Oberland, Surmiran-Albula. Friulian, Ladin, and Romansch are separate languages (R. A. Hall, Jr., personal communication 1978). Lexical similarity 78% with Italian and French, 76% with Catalan, 74% with Spanish, Sardinian, and Portuguese, 72% with Romanian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Rhaetian.
Schwyzerdütsch
[gsw] 4,215,000 in Switzerland (1990 census). Population total all countries: 6,044,000. Central, south central, north central, northeast, and eastern cantons. Also spoken in Austria, France, Germany, Liechtenstein. Alternate names: Alemannisch. Dialects: Bern (Bärndütsch), Zurich, Lucerne, Basel, Obwald, Appenzell, St. Gallen, Graubenden-Grisons (Valserisch), Wallis. Swiss varieties are High Alemannisch (most) and Highest Alemannisch (several in central Switzerland). Not functionally intelligible to speakers of Standard German. Each canton has a separate variety, many of which are unintelligible to each other's speakers. Only a few of the 20 to 70 varieties are listed as dialects (subdialects). Close to Schwäbisch in south central Germany. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Alemannic.
_____________
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=CH
