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Swiss French (French: ''français de Suisse'') is the name used for the different dialects of French spoken in the Francophone part of Switzerland known as Romandy . The differences between Swiss French and French differs from standard German . This was not always the case; however, most of the dialects spoken in the Romandy died out and are thus no longer spoken or used. There is not one standardised Swiss French language: different Cantons (or even different towns in some cases) will use different vocabulary, often derived from the local Regional Language or from German , since Switzerland is predominantly German speaking. Many differences between Swiss French and French are due to the different administrative and political systems between Switzerland and France. For example:
Other examples: Swiss French shares several noticeable differences with Belgian French , such as the use of the word ''septante'' for seventy and ''nonante'' for ninety as opposed to ''soixante-dix'' (literally 'sixty-ten') and ''quatre-vingts-dix'' (literally 'four twenties and ten') of the " Vigesimal " French Counting System . The word ''huitante'' is also sometimes used for eighty instead of ''quatre-vingts'' (literally 'four twenties'), especially in the cantons of Vaud , Valais and Fribourg . Despite what some dicitonaries indicate, the alternative ''octante'' is no longer used in Switzerland, or for that manner, anywhere else in the French-speaking world. Also, the words ''déjeuner'' (breakfast) and ''dîner'' (lunch) are used with the same meaning as in Belgian French and Quebec French , in opposition with the French usage with meanings of ''lunch'' and ''dinner''. Swiss French is not to be confused with Franco-Provençal or Romansh . |