From: Mark Odegard
Message: 1597
Date: 2000-02-20
Rhaetian is generally considered to be Romance
Rhaeto-Romance, also known as Romansh, is a living Romance language spoken in Switzerland and Northern Italy.Rhaetian is an extinct language which is usually said to be related to Etruscan and Lemnian. It is known from inscriptions found in and named for what was the ancient Roman province of Rhaetium; this is Austrian Tyrol and adjacent portions of Italy, Austria and Switzerland. If one accepts an Eastern Mediterranean origin for the Etruscans, you have to explain why Rhaetian is found in the Alps.
This varied collection of names -- Etruscan, Etrurian, Tyrsen, Tyrrhenian -- all date from antiquity and all point to the same people and language group. The modern place-names Tuscany/Toscana are etymologically related to 'Etruscan'.
I forget where I first read that Tyrrhenian is the term applied to the language family. Etrusco-Lemnian also works, but is not quite as inclusive.
Mark.