We propose a theoretical reflection on the functions of linguistic norms and the tensions between the linguistic centre(s) and peripheries for any language that has undergone standardization. We propose that dialects have a right to be recognized in the language's codified norms because of the impact that standardization has on (peripheral) speakers' perceptions of, and feelings towards, their own varieties. To illustrate these ideas, we use the case of the Catalan language, which has undergone a complex and still incomplete process of standardization since the beginning of the twentieth century. After describing Catalan's current sociolinguistic situation, we analyse the recent Gramàtica de la llengua catalana (2016) by the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (GIEC). The volume approaches linguistic codification as a process of 'prescription through description'.