Editing Romansh language (section)

== Linguistic classification ==
Romansh is a [[Romance languages|Romance language]] descending from [[Vulgar Latin]], the [[Languages of the Roman Empire|spoken language of the Roman Empire]]. Among the Romance languages, Romansh stands out because of its peripheral location.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kraas |first=Frauke |date=1996 |title=The Decline of Ethno-Diversity in High Mountain Regions: The Spatial Development of the Rhaetoromansch Minority in Grisons, Switzerland |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3673894 |journal=Mountain Research and Development |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=41–50 |doi=10.2307/3673894 |jstor=3673894 |issn=0276-4741}}</ref> This has resulted in several archaic features. Another distinguishing feature is the centuries-long [[language contact]] with [[German language|German]], which is most noticeable in the vocabulary and to a lesser extent the syntax of Romansh. Romansh belongs to the [[Gallo-Romance languages|Gallo-Romance]] branch of the Romance languages, which includes languages such as [[French language|French]], [[Occitan language|Occitan]], and [[Lombard language|Lombard]]. The main feature placing Romansh within the Gallo-Romance languages is the [[I-mutation|fronting]] of Latin {{IPAslink|u}} to {{IPAblink|y}} or {{IPAblink|i}}, as seen in Latin {{lang|la|muru(m)}} "wall", which is {{Audio|Roh-putèr-mür.ogg|''mür''}} or {{Audio|Roh-sursilvan-mir.ogg|''mir''}} in Romansh.

The main features distinguishing Romansh from the [[Gallo-Italic languages]] to the south, and placing it closer to [[Ladin language|Ladin]], [[Friulian language|Friulian]] and [[Franco-Provencal]], are:
* [[Palatalization (sound change)|Palatalization]] of Latin K and G in front of A, as in Latin {{lang|la|canem}} "dog", which is {{Audio|Roh-sursilvan-tgaun.ogg|''tgaun''}} in [[Sursilvan dialect|Sursilvan]], ''tgang'' in [[Surmiran dialect|Surmiran]], and {{Audio|Roh-putèr-chaun.ogg|''chaun''}} in [[Putèr dialect|Putèr]] and [[Vallader dialect|Vallader]] (the difference between {{angle bracket|tg}} and {{angle bracket|ch}} being purely orthographic, as both represent /tɕ/); Lombard {{lang|lmo|can}}, French {{lang|fr|chien}}. This sound change is partially absent in some varieties of Romansh, however, especially in Sursilvan, where it may have been reversed at some point: Sursilvan {{Audio|Roh-sursilvan-casa.ogg|''casa''}} and Vallader {{Audio|Roh-vallader-chasa.ogg|''chasa''}} "house".
* Pluralisation with ''-s'' suffix, derived from the [[Latin]] [[accusative case]] (though see {{slink|Romance plurals|Origin of vocalic plurals}}), as in "{{lang|rm|buns chavals}}" "good horses" as opposed to Lombard {{lang|lmo|bon cavai}}; French {{lang|fr|bons chevaux}}, yet identical to Portuguese {{lang|pt|bons cavalos}}.
* Retention of L following {{IPA|/p b k ɡ f/}}: {{lang|rm|clav}} "key" from Latin {{lang|la|clavem}}, as opposed to Lombard {{lang|lmo|ciav}}; French {{lang|fr|clef}}.<ref>Liver in Schläpfer & Bickel 2000. pp. 215–216</ref>
Another defining feature of the Romansh language is the use of unstressed vowels. All unstressed vowels except /a/ disappeared.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Beninca |first1=Paola |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zWSIAgAAQBAJ |title=The Rhaeto-Romance Languages |last2=Haiman |first2=John |date=2005-12-20 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=9781134965489 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Rhaeto-Romance languages.png|thumb|left|The three proposed Rhaeto-Romance languages: Romansh, [[Ladin language|Ladin]], and [[Friulian language|Friulan]]]]

Whether or not Romansh, [[Friulian language|Friulan]], and [[Ladin language|Ladin]] should compose a separate "[[Rhaeto-Romance languages|Rhaeto-Romance]]" subgroup within Gallo-Romance is an unresolved issue, known as the {{lang|it|[[Questione Ladina]]}}. Some linguists posit that these languages are descended from a common language, which was fractured geographically through the spread of German and Italian. The Italian linguist [[Graziadio Isaia Ascoli]] first made the claim in 1873.{{sfn|Liver|1999|p=16}} The other position holds that any similarities between these three languages can be explained through their relative geographic isolation, which shielded them from certain linguistic changes. By contrast, the Gallo-Italic varieties of [[Northern Italy]] were more open to linguistic influences from the [[Southern Italy|South]]. Linguists who take this position often point out that the similarities between the languages are comparatively few.{{sfn|Liver|1999|pp=23–24}} This position was first introduced by the Italian dialectologist [[Carlo Battisti]].

This linguistic dispute became politically relevant for the [[Italian irredentism|Italian irredentist movement]]. Italian nationalists interpreted Battisti's hypothesis as implying that Romansh, Friulan, and Ladin were not separate Romance languages but rather [[Languages of Italy|Italian dialects]]. They used this hypothesis as an argument to claim the territories for Italy where these languages were spoken.{{sfn|Liver|1999|p=18}} From a [[Sociolinguistics|sociolinguistic]] perspective, however, this question is largely irrelevant. The speakers of Romansh have always identified as speaking a language distinct from both Italian and other Romance varieties.{{sfn|Liver|1999|p=22}} Furthermore, unlike Friulian, Ladin, or [[Lombard language|Lombard]], Romansh is located north of the German-Italian linguistic border, and German has influenced the language much more than Italian has.