For those unaware (I was before moving here), Switzerland has four national languages: German, French, Italian and Ramansch (a descendent of Vulgar Latin that’s somewhat similar to French and Italian). This leads to some peculiarities unique to Switzerland, such as its four official names:
- Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German)
- Confédération Suisse (French)
- Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)
- Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh)
The primary language of use depends on the canton (effectively a “state” in U.S. nomenclature) that you’re in. As I’m living in the canton of Vaud, French is the language of choice. However, the majority of cantons (particularly those in central and eastern Switzerland) are primarily German speaking. Not surprisingly, Italian is spoken primarily in the South. Romansh is spoken by less than 1% of the population and is found mostly in Eastern Switzerland.
- Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German)
- Confédération Suisse (French)
- Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)
- Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh)
The primary language of use depends on the canton (effectively a “state” in U.S. nomenclature) that you’re in. As I’m living in the canton of Vaud, French is the language of choice. However, the majority of cantons (particularly those in central and eastern Switzerland) are primarily German speaking. Not surprisingly, Italian is spoken primarily in the South. Romansh is spoken by less than 1% of the population and is found mostly in Eastern Switzerland.
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