Rumantsch
Romansh
Indo-European (Romance, Gallo-Romance, Rhaeto-Romance)
Romansh (rumantsch) is a Rhaeto-Romance language of the southeastern Swiss canton of Graubünden (Grisons), with ~60K speakers — Switzerland's smallest national language and one of its four official languages (alongside German, French, Italian) since 1938. Five distinct written varieties (idioms) exist: Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Puter, Vallader, plus the controversial 1982 pan-dialectal compromise standard Rumantsch Grischun used by the federal government. Descended from the Latin of Roman colonists in Raetia (15 BCE), it preserves features lost in other Romance languages and is closely related to Ladin (lld) and Friulian (fur) in the Rhaeto-Romance grouping.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Romansh
Sources
- Ethnologue: roh
- Liver (1999) Rätoromanisch
- Lia Rumantscha
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Indo-European (Romance, Gallo-Romance, Rhaeto-Romance)
| Meaning | Romansh | Ladin | Piedmontese | Occitan | Lombard | Valencian | Interlingua |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aua /awa/ | ega /ˈeɡa/ | eva /ˈɛva/ | aiga /ajɡɔ/ | aqua /ˈaːkwa/ | aigua /ˈajɣwa/ | aqua /akwa/ |
| Fire | fieu /fjew/ | füch /fyk/ | feu /føː/ | fuòc /fwɔk/ | fœg /føːk/ | foc /fɔk/ | foco /fɔko/ |
| Sun | sulegl /suleʎ/ | surëdl /suˈrəːdl/ | sol /sul/ | solelh /sulɛʎ/ | sô /soː/ | sol /sɔl/ | sol /sɔl/ |
| Moon | glina /ɡlina/ | löna /ˈløːna/ | lun-a /ˈlyŋa/ | luna /lynɔ/ | lüna /ˈlyna/ | lluna /ˈʎuna/ | luna /luna/ |
| Star | staila /ˈʃtai̯la/ | stëila /ˈstəila/ | stèila /ˈstɛjla/ | estèla /esˈtɛlɔ/ | stella /ˈstɛla/ | estrella /esˈtɾeʎa/ | stella /ˈstɛla/ |
| Night | notg /notʃ/ | nöt /nøt/ | neuit /nøjt/ | nuèch /nɥɛtʃ/ | nocc /nɔtʃ/ | nit /nit/ | nocte /ˈnokte/ |
| Rain | plievgia /ˈpliəvdʒa/ | pievia /ˈpjɛvja/ | pieuva /ˈpjøva/ | pluèja /ˈplɥɛdʒɔ/ | pioeuva /ˈpjøːva/ | pluja /ˈpluʒa/ | pluvia /ˈpluvia/ |
| Snow | naiv /naif/ | nëif /nəif/ | fiòca /ˈfjɔka/ | nèu /nɛw/ | nev /nɛf/ | neu /nɛw/ | nive /nive/ |
| Wind | vent /vɛnt/ | vent /vɛnt/ | vent /vɛnt/ | vent /ben/ | vent /vɛnt/ | vent /vent/ | vento /ˈvento/ |
| Earth | terra /ˈtɛrra/ | tera /tɛra/ | tèra /ˈtɛra/ | tèrra /ˈtɛrɔ/ | tera /ˈteːra/ | terra /ˈtɛra/ | terra /ˈtɛra/ |
| Stone | crap /krap/ | sas /sas/ | pera /ˈpera/ | pèira /ˈpɛjɾo/ | sass /sas/ | pedra /ˈpeðɾa/ | petra /ˈpetra/ |
| Mountain | muntogna /munˈtɔɲa/ | crëp /krəp/ | montagna /muŋˈtaɲa/ | montanha /munˈtaɲɔ/ | mont /munt/ | muntanya /munˈtaɲa/ | montania /monˈtania/ |
| Sea | mar /mar/ | mer /mer/ | mar /mar/ | mar /maɾ/ | mar /mar/ | mar /maɾ/ | mar /mar/ |
| Mother | mamma /mama/ | uma /ˈuma/ | mare /ˈmare/ | maire /majre/ | mader /ˈmaːder/ | mare /ˈmaɾe/ | matre /matre/ |
| Father | bab /bap/ | pere /ˈpere/ | pare /ˈpare/ | paire /ˈpajɾe/ | pader /ˈpaːder/ | pare /ˈpaɾe/ | patre /patre/ |
| Daughter | figlia /ˈfiʎa/ | fia /ˈfia/ | fija /ˈfija/ | filha /ˈfiʎo/ | fiœula /ˈfjøːla/ | filla /ˈfiʎa/ | filia /ˈfilia/ |
| I | jau /jaw/ | ie /je/ | mi /mi/ | ieu /jew/ | mì /mi/ | jo /jɔ/ | io /ˈio/ |
| You | ti /ti/ | tu /tu/ | ti /ti/ | tu /ty/ | tì /ti/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ |
| We | nus /nus/ | nëus /ˈnəus/ | noi /nuj/ | nosautres /nuˈzawtres/ | nun /nyn/ | nosaltres /noˈzaltɾes/ | nos /nos/ |
| Name | num /num/ | inom /iˈnɔm/ | nòm /nɔm/ | nom /num/ | nòmm /nɔm/ | nom /nɔm/ | nomine /ˈnomine/ |
| Person | persuna /perˈsuna/ | persona /perˈsona/ | përson-a /pərˈsuŋa/ | persona /perˈsunɔ/ | persona /perˈsoːna/ | persona /peɾˈsona/ | persona /perˈsona/ |
| Head | chau /tʃaw/ | cef /tʃɛf/ | testa /ˈtɛsta/ | tèsta /ˈtɛsto/ | coo /kuː/ | cap /kap/ | capite /ˈkapite/ |
| Eye | egl /eʎ/ | uedl /ˈwəːdl/ | euj /øj/ | uèlh /wɛʎ/ | öcc /øtʃ/ | ull /uʎ/ | oculo /okulo/ |
| Ear | ureglia /uˈreʎa/ | orëdla /oˈrədla/ | orija /uˈrija/ | aurelha /awˈɾeʎɔ/ | oreggia /oˈredʒa/ | orella /oˈɾeʎa/ | aure /ˈawre/ |
| Nose | nas /nas/ | nas /nas/ | nas /nas/ | nas /nas/ | nas /nas/ | nas /nas/ | naso /ˈnazo/ |
| Mouth | bucca /ˈbuka/ | bocia /ˈbotʃa/ | boca /ˈbuka/ | boca /ˈbukɔ/ | boca /ˈbuka/ | boca /ˈboka/ | bucca /ˈbuka/ |
| Tooth | dent /dɛnt/ | dënt /dənt/ | dent /dɛŋt/ | dent /den/ | dent /dent/ | dent /dent/ | dente /ˈdente/ |
| Tongue | lieunga /ˈljɛuŋɡa/ | lenga /ˈlɛŋɡa/ | lenga /ˈlɛŋɡa/ | lenga /ˈleŋɡo/ | lengua /ˈleŋɡwa/ | llengua /ˈʎeŋɡwa/ | lingua /ˈliŋɡwa/ |
| Hand | maun /mawn/ | man /maŋ/ | man /maŋ/ | man /ma/ | man /maŋ/ | mà /ma/ | mano /mano/ |
| Foot | pe /pe/ | pe /pe/ | pé /pe/ | pè /pɛ/ | pè /pɛ/ | peu /pɛw/ | pede /pede/ |
| Heart | cor /kɔr/ | cuer /kweɾ/ | cheur /kør/ | còr /kɔr/ | cör /kør/ | cor /kɔɾ/ | corde /kɔrde/ |
| Bone | oss /ɔs/ | os /ɔs/ | òss /ɔs/ | òs /ɔs/ | oss /ɔs/ | os /ɔs/ | osso /ˈosso/ |
| Blood | sang /saŋ/ | sanch /saŋk/ | sangh /saŋ/ | sang /saŋ/ | sangu /ˈsaŋɡu/ | sang /saŋk/ | sanguine /sanˈɡwine/ |
| Poop | cac /kak/ | merda /ˈmɛrda/ | caca /ˈkaka/ | cacà /kaˈka/ | cacca /ˈkaka/ | caca /ˈkaka/ | caca /ˈkaka/ |
| Love | amur /amur/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmur/ | amor /amur/ | amor /aˈmuːr/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /amor/ |
| Tree | planta /planta/ | albe /ˈalbe/ | àrbol /ˈarbul/ | arbre /arbre/ | alber /ˈɑːrbɛr/ | arbre /ˈaɾbɾe/ | arbore /arbore/ |
| Dog | chaun /tʃawn/ | cian /tʃaŋ/ | can /kaŋ/ | can /ka/ | can /kan/ | gos /ɡos/ | can /kan/ |
| Cat | giat /dʒat/ | giat /dʒat/ | gat /ɡat/ | gat /ɡat/ | gat /ɡat/ | gat /ɡat/ | catto /katto/ |
| Fish | pesch /peʃ/ | pësc /pəʃ/ | pess /pes/ | peis /pejs/ | pess /pes/ | peix /pejʃ/ | pisce /ˈpiʃe/ |
| Bird | utschè /uˈtʃɛ/ | uciel /uˈtʃɛl/ | osel /uˈzɛl/ | aucèl /auˈsɛl/ | usèll /yzɛl/ | ocell /oˈseʎ/ | ave /ˈave/ |
| Butterfly | spler /ʃpler/ | pavël /paˈvəl/ | parpajon /parpaˈjuŋ/ | parpalhòl /paɾpaˈʎɔl/ | parpaj /parˈpaj/ | papallona /papaˈʎona/ | papilion /papiliˈon/ |
| Egg | ov /ɔf/ | uef /uɛf/ | euv /øw/ | uòu /jɔw/ | öv /øf/ | ou /ɔw/ | ovo /ˈovo/ |
| Bear | urs /urs/ | lors /lors/ | ors /urs/ | ors /uɾs/ | ors /ors/ | ós /os/ | urso /ˈurso/ |
| Horse | chaval /tʃaˈval/ | ciaval /tʃaˈval/ | caval /kaˈval/ | caval /kaˈβal/ | cavall /kaˈval/ | cavall /kaˈvaʎ/ | cavallo /kaˈvalo/ |
| House | chasa /tʃaza/ | ciasa /ˈtʃaza/ | ca /ka/ | ostal /ustal/ | cà /kaː/ | casa /ˈkaza/ | casa /kasa/ |
| Milk | latg /latɕ/ | lat /lat/ | làit /lɑɪ̯t/ | lach /lats/ | latt /lat/ | llet /ʎet/ | lacte /ˈlakte/ |
| Honey | mel /mɛl/ | mel /mɛl/ | amel /aˈmɛl/ | mèl /mɛl/ | mel /mɛl/ | mel /mɛl/ | melle /ˈmɛle/ |
| Salt | sal /sal/ | sèl /sɛl/ | sal /sal/ | sau /saw/ | sal /sal/ | sal /sal/ | sal /sal/ |
| Wine | vin /vin/ | vin /viŋ/ | vin /viŋ/ | vin /vi/ | vin /viŋ/ | vi /vi/ | vino /ˈvino/ |
| Rice | ris /ris/ | riji /ˈriʒi/ | ris /ris/ | ris /ris/ | ris /ris/ | arròs /aˈrɔs/ | ris /ris/ |
| Chocolate | tschigulatta /tʃiɡuˈlata/ | cicolata /tʃikoˈlata/ | cicolata /tʃikuˈlata/ | chocolat /tʃukuˈla/ | cicolat /tʃikuˈlat/ | xocolate /tʃokoˈlate/ | chocolate /tʃokoˈlate/ |
| Iron | fier /fjɛr/ | fer /fɛr/ | fer /fɛr/ | fèrre /ˈfɛre/ | fèr /fɛr/ | ferro /ˈfɛro/ | ferro /ˈfɛrro/ |
| Wheel | roda /ˈroda/ | roda /ˈroda/ | roa /ˈrua/ | ròda /ˈrɔdo/ | roeuda /ˈrøːda/ | roda /ˈrɔða/ | rota /ˈrɔta/ |
| Silk | saida /ˈsai̯da/ | seida /ˈseida/ | seda /ˈseda/ | seda /ˈsedɔ/ | seda /ˈseːda/ | seda /ˈseða/ | seta /ˈseta/ |
| Book | cudesch /ˈkudɛʃ/ | liber /ˈliber/ | lìber /ˈliber/ | libre /ˈliβɾe/ | liber /ˈliber/ | llibre /ˈʎibɾe/ | libro /ˈlibro/ |
| Eat | mangiar /mandʒar/ | mangé /manˈdʒe/ | mangé /maɲˈdʒe/ | manjar /mandʒa/ | mangià /maɲˈdʒaː/ | menjar /meɲˈdʒaɾ/ | manducar /mandukar/ |
| Drink | baiver /bajver/ | bever /ˈbever/ | bèive /ˈbɛive/ | béure /bewre/ | bev /bev/ | beure /ˈbewɾe/ | biber /biber/ |
| Sleep | durmir /durˈmir/ | durmì /durˈmi/ | durmì /dyrˈmi/ | dormir /durˈmi/ | dormì /durˈmi/ | dormir /doɾˈmiɾ/ | dormir /dorˈmir/ |
| One | in /in/ | un /un/ | un /yŋ/ | un /yn/ | vün /vyŋ/ | un /un/ | un /un/ |
| Two | dus /dus/ | doi /dɔi/ | doi /dui/ | dos /dus/ | duu /dy/ | dos /dos/ | duo /ˈduo/ |
| Three | trais /trais/ | trëi /ˈtrəi/ | tre /trɛ/ | tres /tɾes/ | trii /triː/ | tres /tɾes/ | tres /tres/ |
| Four | quatter /ˈkwatər/ | cater /ˈkater/ | quatr /kwatr/ | quatre /ˈkwatɾe/ | quater /ˈkwater/ | quatre /ˈkwatɾe/ | quatro /ˈkwatro/ |
| Five | tschintg /tʃiŋk/ | cinch /tʃiŋk/ | sinch /siŋk/ | cinc /siŋ/ | cinch /tʃiŋk/ | cinc /siŋk/ | cinque /ˈtʃiŋkwe/ |
| Hundred | tschient /tʃient/ | cënt /tʃənt/ | sent /sɛŋt/ | cent /sen/ | cent /tʃent/ | cent /sent/ | cento /ˈtʃento/ |
| Hello | allegra /aleɡra/ | bun de /buŋ ˈde/ | ciao /tʃao/ | adieu /adjew/ | ciao /ˈtʃaːo/ | hola /ˈola/ | salute /salute/ |
| Thank you | grazia /ɡratsia/ | dilan /diˈlaŋ/ | gràssie /ˈɡrasie/ | mercés /merses/ | gràzie /ˈɡrasje/ | gràcies /ˈɡɾasies/ | gratias /ɡratias/ |
| Good | bun /bun/ | bon /boŋ/ | bon /buŋ/ | bon /bu/ | bun /buŋ/ | bo /bɔ/ | bon /bon/ |
| New | nov /nɔf/ | nuef /nuɛf/ | neuv /nøw/ | nòu /nɔw/ | nœuv /nøf/ | nou /nɔw/ | nove /ˈnove/ |
| Red | cotschen /ˈkotʃən/ | cuecen /ˈkwetʃən/ | ross /rus/ | roge /ˈrudʒe/ | ross /rɔs/ | roig /rɔtʃ/ | rubie /ˈrubie/ |
| White | alv /alf/ | blanch /blaŋk/ | bianch /bjaŋk/ | blanc /blaŋ/ | bianch /bjaŋk/ | blanc /blaŋk/ | blanc /blaŋk/ |
| Black | nair /nair/ | fosch /fosk/ | nèir /nɛjr/ | negre /ˈneɣɾe/ | negher /ˈneɡer/ | negre /ˈneɣɾe/ | nigre /ˈniɡre/ |
| Green | verd /vɛrt/ | vërt /vərt/ | verd /vɛrt/ | verd /bet/ | verd /vert/ | verd /vɛɾt/ | verde /ˈverde/ |
| Blue | blau /blaw/ | brum /brum/ | bleu /blø/ | blau /blaw/ | blö /blø/ | blau /blaw/ | blau /blau/ |
| Cuckoo | cucu /ˈkuku/ | cuch /kuk/ | coco /ˈkuku/ | cocut /kuˈkyt/ | cùcch /kuk/ | cucut /kuˈkut/ | cucu /ˈkuku/ |
| Computer | computer /kɔmˈpjuːtər/ | computer /komˈpjuter/ | computer /komˈpjuter/ | ordinator /urdinaˈtu/ | computer /komˈpjuter/ | ordinador /oɾðinaˈðoɾ/ | computator /komputaˈtor/ |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ |
| Tea | té /te/ | — | tè /tɛ/ | tè /tɛ/ | tè /tɛ/ | te /te/ | the /te/ |
| Coffee | café /kaˈfe/ | — | cafè /kaˈfɛ/ | cafè /kaˈfɛ/ | cafè /kaˈfɛ/ | café /kaˈfe/ | caffe /ˈkafe/ |
| Sugar | zutger /ˈtsutɕer/ | — | sùcher /ˈsykɛr/ | sucre /ˈsykɾe/ | zuccher /syˈkeːr/ | sucre /ˈsukɾe/ | sucro /ˈsukro/ |
| Orange | aranscha /aˈraŋʃa/ | naranza /naˈrantsa/ | aransa /aˈraŋsa/ | irange /iˈɾandʒe/ | naranz /naˈrans/ | taronja /taˈɾɔɲdʒa/ | orange /oˈrandʒe/ |
| Dopamine | dopamin /dopaˈmiːn/ | — | dopamin-a /dupaˈmiŋa/ | dopamina /dupaˈminɔ/ | — | dopamina /dopaˈmina/ | dopamina /dopaˈmina/ |
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