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by Joseph Planta, Esq. F. R. S.

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Title: Account of the Romansh Language
In a Letter to Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S.

Author: Joseph Planta, Esq. F. R. S.

Release Date: November 12, 2003 [EBook #10069]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Handwriting: F. Druce, the gift of the author.]

_An Account of the Romansh Language._

_By Joseph Planta, Esq. F. R. S._

_In a Letter to Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S._

[Handwriting: Phil. Trans. vol LXVI. A.D. 1776]

British Museum,
June 30, 1775.

SIR,

The Bible lately presented to the Royal Society by Count de Salis, being
a version into a language as little attended to in this country, as it
may appear curious to those who take pleasure in philological inquiries;
I embrace this opportunity to communicate to you, and, with your
approbation, to the Society, all that I have been able to collect
concerning its history and present state.

This language is called _Romansh_, and is now spoken in the most
mountainous parts of the country of the Grisons, near the sources of the
Rhine and the Inn. It consists of two main dialects; which, though
partaking both of the above general name, differ however so widely as to
constitute in a manner two distinct languages. Books are printed in both
of them; and each, though it be universally understood in its respective
district, is yet sub-divided into almost as many secondary dialects as
there are villages in which it is spoken; which differ, however, but
little except in the pronunciation. One of the main dialects, which is
spoken in the Engadine, a valley extending from the source of the Inn to
the frontiers of the Tyrolese, is by the inhabitants called _Ladin_. It
admits of some variation, even in the books, according as they are
printed either in the upper or the lower part of this province. The
abovementioned Bible is in the dialect of the lower Engadine; which,
howe