The formation and transformation of the Italian language: from the literary canon to contemporary challenges

Context and relevance. The dynamics of linguistic norms represent a central issue in modern sociolinguistics, particularly in the context of global digitalization. The Italian language, with its unique history marked by a centuries-old gap between written literary tradition and oral dialectal practices, provides an ideal model for studying the radical transformations language undergoes under the influence of new technologies. These changes lead not only to the emergence of new linguistic forms but also to a fundamental shift in the paradigm of linguistic competence and authority. Purpose. To trace the historical evolution of the Italian language from the formation of its literary canon to its contemporary digital transformation, and to identify and characterize the new criteria for assessing language proficiency emerging in the digital age. Hypothesis. The historical duality of «book civilization» and «oral civilization» in Italy is coming to an end, giving way to a «digital civilization of spontaneous text», where linguistic norms lose their prescriptive power, and traditional literacy criteria are replaced by principles of pragmatic effectiveness and hybridity. Methods and materials. The research is based on the analysis of a wide corpus of scholarly works on the history of the Italian language, sociolinguistics, and computer-mediated communication (e.g., De Mauro, Berruto, Sabatini, Fresu, Raimo, Antonelli, Pasolini). The study employs historical-evolutionary, comparative, and descriptive linguistic methods. Results. It is established that a new system for assessing linguistic competence is forming in the digital environment, including: 1) the criterion of digital communicative effectiveness; 2) the criterion of proficiency in hybrid code-mixing; 3) the criterion of adaptability to digital genres; 4) the criterion of emotional and social signaling; and 5) the criterion of speed and spontaneity. The linguistic profile of the «digitized semi-literate» speaker (semicolto digitalizzato) is becoming the dominant type of language user. Conclusions. The findings demonstrate that the ongoing changes indicate complex adaptation of linguistic culture. The concept of an «error» is being replaced by the concept of «relevance» in a specific digital context, signaling a shift in the linguistic regime from norm-oriented to functional-pragmatic.