Preaching in Friulian as Diskurstradition. For an interpretation of the historical development of the norm

Over the last two decades, a significant quantity of texts written between the mid -eighteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century has become available thanks to the systematic publication and study of the first collections of homilies in Friulian. Not only does this enable us to transcend the fragmentary and sporadic nature of previous investigations, but it also allows us to deepen our knowledge on the basis of more appropriate methods, taking into account a wider range of perspectives. In this contribution, the discursive and linguistic norms of the homilies are interpreted through the analytical method of the Diskurstradition. Its application to texts which are not literary in the strict sense of the word allows us to observe how Friulian, through the practice of preaching, was subjected to an expansion process typical of communicative distance. Furthermore, this contributed significantly to the first phase of the standardization process, selection, and laid a solid foundation for the codification phase.