Switzerland Languages

Europe Switzerland

Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. The German speakers are 65% of the population while the French are 18%, Italian 10%, Romansh 1% and others 6%. Many Swiss speak more than one language. Romansh is an old Latin dialect spoken mainly in the mountains of Graubünden. French is spoken officially in six cantons: Fribourg, Vaud, Jura, Valais, Neuchâtel, and Geneva. Italian is spoken in Ticino and parts of Graubünden. German with a myriad of dialects is spoken in the other fifteen cantons: Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden (consists of half cantons of Obwalden and Nidwalden), Glarus, Zug, Solothurn, Basel (consists of half cantons of Basel-Stadt and Baselland), Schaffhausen, Appenzell (consists of half cantons of Appenzell-Innerrhoden and Appenzell-Ausserrhoden), St. Gallen, Aargau, Thurgau, and in the rest of Graubünden. Major foreign groups are southern and Eastern Europeans. Records are written in the major languages and Latin which was used extensively in early records.

Swiss Genealogical Word List
This is a list of commonly used words found in German Swiss church records, family registers and church census records. This list includes words found in dialect spellings. For further German words, please use the German Word List:


 * German Word List

For the French speaking parts of Switzerland, see the French word list:


 * French Word List

For the Italian speaking parts of Switzerland see the Italian Word List:


 * Italian Genealogical Word List