The four national languages of Switzerland are German Swiss Standard German, referred to by the Swiss as Schriftdeutsch, or Hochdeutsch, is one of four official languages in Switzerland, besides French, Italian and Romansh. It is a variety of Standard German, used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, mainly written, and rather less often spoken, French French is a Romance language globally spoken by about 110 million people who speak French (native and first language speakers combined). Around 190 million people speak French as a second language, and an additional 200 million speak it as as an acquired foreign language.[citation needed] French speaking communities are present in 57 countries and, Italian Italian ( italiano , or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by another 10 million Italian descendants in the world, making it spoken by a total of 70 million native speakers. It is also spoken by an additional 125 million people as a foreign language. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four, and Romansh Romansh (also spelled Romansch, Rumantsh, or Romanche; Romansh: rumantsch/rumauntsch/romontsch; German: Rätoromanisch) is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French. It is one of the Rhaeto-Romance languages, believed to have descended from the Vulgar Latin variety spoken by Roman era occupiers of the.[2] Only three of these languages, however, maintain equal status as official languages at the national level within the Federal Administration of the Swiss Confederation Switzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation (Confoederatio Helvetica in Latin, hence its ISO country codes CH and CHE), is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe[note 4] where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to: German Swiss Standard German, referred to by the Swiss as Schriftdeutsch, or Hochdeutsch, is one of four official languages in Switzerland, besides French, Italian and Romansh. It is a variety of Standard German, used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, mainly written, and rather less often spoken, French French is a Romance language globally spoken by about 110 million people who speak French (native and first language speakers combined). Around 190 million people speak French as a second language, and an additional 200 million speak it as as an acquired foreign language.[citation needed] French speaking communities are present in 57 countries and, and Italian Italian ( italiano , or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by another 10 million Italian descendants in the world, making it spoken by a total of 70 million native speakers. It is also spoken by an additional 125 million people as a foreign language. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four.[3]
Native speakers number about 64 percent (4.6 million) for German (mostly Swiss German Swiss German is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland and in some Alpine communities in Northern Italy. Occasionally, the Alemannic dialects spoken in other countries are called Swiss German as well, especially the dialects of Liechtenstein and Austrian Vorarlberg which are closely associated to Switzerland's.[dubious – discuss] dialects), 20 percent (1.5 million) for French (mostly Swiss French Swiss French is the name used for the variety of French spoken in the French-speaking area of Switzerland known as Romandy. Swiss French is not to be confused with Franco-Provençal/Arpitan or Romansh, two other individual Romance languages spoken in areas not far from Romandy, but including some Arpitan Franco-Provençal or Arpitan or Romand (in Switzerland) (Vernacular: francoprovençâl, arpitan, patouès; Italian: francoprovenzale, arpitano, dialetto, patoà; French: francoprovençal, arpitan, patois) is a Romance language with several distinct dialects that form a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue d'Oïl and Langue d'Oc. The name dialects), 6.5 percent (0.5 million) for Italian (mostly Swiss Italian Swiss Italian is the name given to the idiom spoken by about 500,000 Swiss in the canton of Ticino and in the southern part of Graubünden, but including Lombardic dialects), and less than 0.5 percent (35,000) for Romansh.[4]
The Swiss German Swiss German is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland and in some Alpine communities in Northern Italy. Occasionally, the Alemannic dialects spoken in other countries are called Swiss German as well, especially the dialects of Liechtenstein and Austrian Vorarlberg which are closely associated to Switzerland's.[dubious – discuss] region (Deutschschweiz) is in the north and center, the Swiss French Swiss French is the name used for the variety of French spoken in the French-speaking area of Switzerland known as Romandy. Swiss French is not to be confused with Franco-Provençal/Arpitan or Romansh, two other individual Romance languages spoken in areas not far from Romandy part (Romandie) in the west and the Swiss Italian Swiss Italian is the name given to the idiom spoken by about 500,000 Swiss in the canton of Ticino and in the southern part of Graubünden area (Svizzera italiana) in the south. There remains a small Romansh Romansh (also spelled Romansch, Rumantsh, or Romanche; Romansh: rumantsch/rumauntsch/romontsch; German: Rätoromanisch) is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French. It is one of the Rhaeto-Romance languages, believed to have descended from the Vulgar Latin variety spoken by Roman era occupiers of the-speaking native population in Graubünden Graubünden or Grisons (German: Graubünden, [ɡʁaʊˈbʏndən] ; Italian: Grigioni [ɡɾiˈdʒoni]; Romansh: Grischun [ɡɾiˈʒun]; see also other names) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares international borders with Italy (Trentino-Alto Adige/South Tyrol and Lombardy), Austria (Vorarlberg) and Liechtenstein in the east. The cantons of Fribourg The Canton of Fribourg is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the west of the country. The capital of the canton is Fribourg. The name Fribourg is French, whereas Freiburg is the German name for both the canton and the town, Bern The canton of Bern is the second largest of the 26 Swiss cantons by both surface area and population. Located in west-central Switzerland, it borders the Canton of Jura and the Canton of Solothurn to the north. To the west lie the Canton of Neuchâtel, the Canton of Fribourg and Vaud. To the south lies the Valais. East of the canton of Bern lie and Valais The Valais (German: Wallis ) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley. Paradoxically it is also one of most are officially bilingual Multilingualism is the use of two or more languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population; Graubünden is officially trilingual Multilingualism is the use of two or more languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population.
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