# Noun for language but not for speakers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 31, 2020, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915 "2020-07-31T13:38:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/21 "2020-08-01T14:39:55Z")
Ignorance fought, with my appreciation. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/22 "2020-08-01T16:33:39Z")
“Dutch” the language and “Dutchman” just as “English” and “Englishman” may not be what you are looking for. Still I offer them for your consideration. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/23 "2020-08-01T16:42:19Z")
Do Gaelic and Erse fit the bill? j ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/24 "2020-08-01T16:51:21Z")
There are Gaels, but once again they are just Gaelic speaking people, not any otherwise well defined group. Not sure whether the OP was making this distinction. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/25 "2020-08-02T05:48:39Z")
How about Sanskrit? > **[Sanskrit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > > Assamese >  · > Bengali >  · > Bodo >  · > Dogri >  · > Gujarati > > Hindi >  · > Kannada >  · > Kashmiri >  · > Konkani >  · > Maithili > > Malayalam >  · > Marathi >  · > Meitei (Manipuri) >  · > Nepali > > Odia >  · > Punjabi >  · > Sanskrit >  · > Santali >  · > Sindhi > > Tamil >  · > Telugu >  · > Urdu > Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India > > Official Languages Commission > > Classical Languages of India > > List of languages by number of native speakers in India ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/26 "2020-08-03T20:44:51Z")
Gaelic is a language family, that consists of 3 extant languages. They can’t even agree on how to pronounce it, most English speakers say it the Irish way but the first vowel is different in Scottish. ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/27 "2020-08-04T10:11:43Z")
Luganda is the main language of the Baganda people, who live in the kingdom of Buganda in Uganda. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/28 "2020-08-05T19:06:59Z")
Haitian Creole (or _kreyol_ in Creole) is the main language of Haiti. I don’t know if there is a name for the people who speak Creole. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/29 "2020-08-05T19:20:20Z")
> [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > Farsi. There’s an extra layer there, because there are completely separate words for the ethnicity (Persian) and the country (Iran). One more layer: “The word پارسیان, pronounced “Parsian”, i.e., “Parsi” in the [Persian language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_language), literally means _Persian_ .[[14]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsis#cite_note-14) Note that _Farsi_ is an [Arabization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabization) of the word _Parsi_ , which is used as an [endonym](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endonym) of Persian, and the Persian language is spoken in [Iran](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran), [Afghanistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan), [Tajikistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajikistan), and some other regions of the former [Persian Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Empire).” from > **[Parsis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsis)** > > The Parsis (/ˈpɑːrsiː/) are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of the Persian Empire (part of the early Muslim conquests) to escape religious persecution and conversion to Islam. The Parsi people comprise the older of the Indian subcontinent's two Zoroastrian communities vis-à-vis the Iranis, whose ancestors migrated to British-ruled India from Qajar Pr... ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/30 "2020-08-05T19:23:02Z")
Interesting; I didn’t know that. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/31 "2020-08-05T21:05:33Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Mandarin should qualify, I would think. This causes me to recall that in _Sex and the City_ Charlotte said she would “adopt a Mandarin baby.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/32 "2020-08-05T23:04:08Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Haitian Creole (or _kreyol_ in Creole) is the main language of Haiti. I don’t know if there is a name for the people who speak Creole. Haitians call themselves “Ayisyen” in Kreyol. Not quite the same as you or the OP were were asking about, but in the ballpark. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/33 "2020-08-17T05:54:07Z")
The fourth national language in Switzerland is [Romansh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romansh_language) and the people who speak it, at least in English, are described as Romansch speakers. And Switzerland is the opposite of the OP. As there are 4 different languages in Switzerland, there is no Swiss language, but there are Swiss people. ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_G](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_g/32/5080_2.png) [@Steven\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_G)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/34 "2020-08-17T09:51:04Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > And Switzerland is the opposite of the OP. As there are 4 different languages in Switzerland, there is no Swiss language, but there are Swiss people. Just to be picky, this is GQ after all. 😄 4 _official_ languages, and a few non-official, such as Swiss-German (Schwyzer Dootsch or Schwyzerdütsch), Walser, Arpitan… The French spoken is not the same as standard French, and often called Swiss-French. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/35 "2020-08-17T17:23:10Z")
> [@Steven\_G](#): > > 4 _official_ languages, and a few non-official, such as Swiss-German (Schwyzer Dootsch or Schwyzerdütsch), Walser, Arpitan… So, so sorry. There are only 3 official languages. Romansch is not an official language. From [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Switzerland), as the English is not one of the official languages: > The four national **languages of [Switzerland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland)** are [German](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language), [French](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language), [Italian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_language) and [Romansh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romansh_language).[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Switzerland#cite_note-3) All but Romansh maintain equal status as official languages at the national level within the Federal Administration of the [Swiss Confederation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Confederation). It’s a favorite trivia question. ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_G](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_g/32/5080_2.png) [@Steven\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_G)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/36 "2020-08-18T07:51:31Z")
OK, 2 things: My main point was that Switzerland has quite a few languages, that have long “native” histories, and that some of them are referred to as “Swiss”. But accepted that it may be argued that they are dialects. Next, make sure you phrase your trivia question very precisely. Romansch does have official status when used in communications concerning that area, even at the National level. [http://official-swiss-national-languages.all-about-switzerland.info/](http://official-swiss-national-languages.all-about-switzerland.info/) and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romansh\_language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romansh_language) " Romansh has been recognized as a national language of Switzerland since 1938, and as an official language in correspondence with Romansh-speaking citizens since 1996, along with German, French and Italian" So a bit of a grey area, but it does have an official status at National Government level (and appears on bank-notes!) ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/37 "2020-08-18T10:21:37Z")
> [@Steven\_G](#): > > 4 _official_ languages, and a few non-official, such as Swiss-German (Schwyzer Dootsch or Schwyzerdütsch), Walser, Arpitan… > The French spoken is not the same as standard French, and often called Swiss-French. Swiss French is different from Standard French, but it is not different to such an extent as to justify classifying it as a language in its own right. It’s a dialect of French, not a language. The same goes for Swiss German as a dialect of German (where the differences to Standard German are more pronounced). I see the point that it is a blurry line whether two vernaculars are considered two distinct languages, or two dialects of the same language, but in the case of Swiss French and Swiss German their classification as separate languages is surely a fringe view in linguistics. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915/38 "2020-08-19T17:05:32Z")
> [@Steven\_G](#): > > So a bit of a grey area, but it does have an official status at National Government level (and appears on bank-notes!) And that’s it. And a few signs. But the train announcements never include Romansch, the official weather is only available in German, French, Italian and English, and my yogurt only has German, French and Italian. Because there’s no obligation to include Romansch for general use. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noun-for-language-but-not-for-speakers/916915.md?page=1)