Linguistic Norm in the Linguistic Theory of

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to illustrate Eugenio Coseriu’s conception of linguistic norm considered as a descriptive term and to relate it a) to its place in Coseriu’s theory of language, b) to the history of linguistic thought, c) to normative conceptions in Coseriu’s theory, and d) to other concepts, mainly to that of discourse traditions (Koch 1997), largely discussed during the last years. I will depart from some general observations on Coseriu’s terminology and on his relationship with the work of Ferdinand de Saussure, showing how Coseriu develops his conception of norm in a discussion of the limits of the langueparole distinction. The next step will be to introduce Coseriu’s terms of correctness and exemplarity and to indicate the relationship between norm and discourse traditions.