Stabilità e instabilità della LIS. Alcune riflessioni tra norma e uso

So far stability and instability have been explored in high status languages. This study addresses the same notions in sign languages, and in particular in Italian Sign Language (LIS). LIS is a minority language that has been long stigmatized as a non-linguistic form of communication. The need of stability emerged when this form of communication started to be considered a true language leading to new representations. On one side, it was necessary to distinguish sign language from gestures and LIS from Italian, on the other, norms were hypothesised also for LIS, but by using vocal language categories. In this paper, we will show how the interplay between norms and usage results from social action and in particular from the linguistic attitude of signers towards sign language, that is the way LIS is perceived in relation to Italian, and from the development of metalinguistic knowledge of sign language.