Swiss Population: 7,450,867.
National or official languages:
French, Standard German, Italian, Romansch.
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.
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
Swiss-French Sign Language
[ssr] 1,000 (1986 Gallaudet Univ.). Alternate names: Langage Gestuelle. Dialects: Some regional lexical variations in the French area are tied to specific schools. There are local Swiss signs and imported French signs. Classification: Deaf sign language
Swiss-German Sign Language
[sgg] 6,000 (1986 Gallaudet Univ.). Alternate names: Natürliche Gebärde. Classification: Deaf sign language
Swiss-Italian Sign Language
[slf] 200 (1986 Gallaudet Univ.). Classification: Deaf sign language
Walser
[wae] 10,000 in Switzerland (2004). Population total all countries: 22,780. Ethnic population: 21,900 (1980 C. Buchli). Bosco-Gurin, Canton Ticino; Wallis, Simplon; Graubunden, Obersaxen; Valsertal (Vals, St. Martin); Safiental (Valendas, Versam, Tenna, Safien); Rheinwald (Medels, Nufenen, Splngen, Sufers, Hinterrhein, Avers); Schanfigg (Arosa, Langwiesn); Albula (Mutten, Schmitte Wiesen); Landquart (Davos, Klosters, Furna, Says, St. Antonien, Valzeina). 26 communities in Switzerland, and 7 former ones. Also spoken in Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein. Alternate names: Walscher. Dialects: Ancestors came from the Wallis Canton between the 12th and 13th centuries. Close but different from Schwyzerdütsch spoken in Wallis Canton in Switzerland. Different from Cimbrian, Mocheno, or Bavarian. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Alemannic
