Last Updated on March 20, 2013 by
“East Switzerland was never so thoroughly recognized and subdued as the western part. Hence, when the Teutonic or German tribes succeeded at last in settling in the country, the power of Rome died out, the Allemanni in the northeast entirely absorbed the Celts who lived there, and who had but little power of resistance, and planted a true German people with their own laws, language, manners ‘and customs.
With the Burdundians, also a German tribe, who settled in the southwest, it was different. While they brought fresh vigor into the country, they were influenced in turn by the Romanized Celts, and were gradually blended with the early settlers, thus forming a new people, the foundation of whose speech was Latin.
This was the beginning of the German speech and a Latin speech, which developed into French, being spoken side by side in the little Central country.
There is no Swiss language today. The larger eastern part still speaks German, like the country it borders on, and the smaller western part, touching France, speaks French. Where the southern part now runs down into Italy, the people speak Italian.”
* This is from the Book of Knowledge, Vol. X, page 2962, published by the Grolier Society, London England. The Educational Book Company.