Romansh

How Romansh gained status step by step

The federal constitutions of 1848 and 1872 did not mention Romansh. A referendum made it the fourth national language of Switzerland in 1938, a largely symbolic status, while official documents stayed in German, French and Italian. Name registers and property titles had to use those languages, so Romansh-speaking parents often registered children under German or Italian forms of their names. A second referendum, on 10 March 1996, made it an official language for correspondence with Romansh speakers under article 70 of the constitution. They may write to the federal administration in any variety and receive an answer in Rumantsch Grischun.

In the Grisons, the only canton where Romansh is official, the constitution of 2004 puts German, Italian and Romansh on an equal footing. In 2003 Romansh was the sole official language of 56 municipalities and one of two in 19 more.

Why the common standard divided speakers

The five regional varieties are Sursilvan, Vallader, Putèr, Surmiran and Sutsilvan, each with its own written norm. The linguist Heinrich Schmid designed Rumantsch Grischun in 1982 by taking forms found in most of the three strongest varieties: Sursilvan, Vallader and Surmiran. Opponents called it a test-tube baby; supporters called it a virgin language to be nurtured.

A referendum on 10 June 2001 made it the canton's only official Romansh variety, with 65% in favour. When the canton pushed it into primary schools, dozens of municipalities switched, and from 2011 the association Pro Idioms led many of them back. By 2021 the Surmiran-writing area had returned to Surmiran, leaving Rumantsch Grischun as a school language mainly in bilingual classes in Chur and in Trin and Domat/Ems.

Which Romansh words reached German

Gletscher, glacier, and Murmeltier, marmot, from Romansh murmunt, entered wider German, along with dishes such as Maluns and Capuns. The Grisons German dialects took far more, including Spus for bride and Pon for a wooden container.