“Crear pleds en rumantsch n’è betg in’activitad academica lunsch davent da la realitad. Igl è impurtant che nossas utilisadras e noss utilisaders possian sa participar directamain al Pledari Grond e gidar uschia ad actualisar la lingua. Quai rinforza il sentiment che la lingua appartegna a tuttas e tuts che la dovran. Il rumantsch na duai betg daventar ina lingua artifiziala, mabain sto restar francà en il mintgadi modern che sa mida cuntinuadamain.” Did you understand that? If your Romansh is a little rusty, you can find the translation on page 31. Romansh Since the Federal Constitution was amended in 1938, Romansh has been Switzerland’s fourth official language. It is composed of five regional dialects (Puter in Upper Engadine; Vallader in Lower Engadine and the Val Müstair; Sursilvan in the Surselva area of the Anterior Rhine Valley; Sutsilvan mainly in the Schams Valley; Surmiran in the Albula and Vaz/Obervaz area) as well as numerous local vernaculars. Besides dialects, Rumantsch Grischun is the unified written language, based mainly on three dialects: Sursilvan, Surmiran and Vallader. Teaching material is published in Rumantsch Grischun and in all of the dialects, because both Rumantsch Grischun and the dialects are regarded as languages of literacy and instruction. The “Pledari Grond” also provides dictionaries for the Surmiran, Sutsilvan, Sursilvan, Puter and Vallader dialects. All people who speak Romansh speak at least one other language – and that is German. (JS) Despite the time pressure, Telli and his team aim to provide the best stand-alone yet logical solutions. The traditional Romansh word for a granary, “arcun”, is a great example, says Telli. This noun now has a second meaning: computer memory. The verb “arcunar” means saving a file. Complex gender neutrality For Telli, the work that they do at Lia Rumantscha is anything but highbrow. “It is important that users can play their part in evolving our language,” he says. “This reinforces the sense that Romansh belongs to everyone who uses it.” Romansh must never sink into oblivion as a twee artificial language, but should live and breathe to reflect the fast pace of our modern times. The “Pledari Grond” is a suitably agile interface and a crucial enabler, he adds. Pragmatism is another key factor. For example, Romansh speakers are happy to appropriate English expressions if they have to, with terms like “googlar” (to Google) an integral part of their vocabulary. Things become somewhat more complex with regard to gender neutrality. This is because, unlike, say, German, the masculine and the feminine have different plural articles: “ils”/“las”. Hence, Lia Rumantscha and other similar Romansh-oriented bodies limit gender-neutral usage to situations involving a diverse audience. Link: pledarigrond.ch in English: the big dictionary. The “Pledari Grond” is an online dictionary covering Rumantsch Grischun (the standard written language) and the five Romansh dialects. Rumantsch Grischun currently accounts for just under 250,000 entries in the “Pledari Grond” – a copious body of vocabulary compared to the Duden, for example. Telli and his team of linguists add new entries to the “Pledari Grond” practically every day, frequently based on outside input. On the “Pledari Grond” website, any user can enter the German equivalent of a missing Romansh word – and then suggest their own Romansh translation. Any one of Telli’s team who happens to be at the keyboard will then look at the suggested entry immediately. Telli: “Whoever is on duty on any given day should be ready for some surprising teasers.” From granary to computer Very often, the people who use the “Pledari Grond” are journalists who provide content in Romansh, says Telli. If they are unable to find a specific term, they will ask for advice. “They usually need an answer before their editorial deadline a few hours later. We can normally help them in time.” Like the schoolyard, the media is an important environment for new vocabulary, because journalists are always trying to find simple expressions for new concepts, he says. The Covid crisis (“crisa da corona”) provided a particularly fertile ground for new terms – from “infecziun postvaccina” (breakthrough infection) to “obligatori da certificat” (mandatory Covid passports). Daniel Telli and his team of linguists add new entries to the “Pledari Grond” Romansh online dictionary practically every day. Photo supplied Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 19
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