Current linguistic changes in contemporary Italian The cases of non io che and essere tipo

This study investigates two emerging syntactic constructions in contemporary Italian digital discourse: non io che and essere tipo. Drawing on a corpus of data from Twitter and Threads, the research explores how these structures, influenced by English analogues like not me [verb]-ing and be like, are integrated into Italian grammar. Quantitative analysis reveals their productivity, especially among younger speakers. We examine the syntax and pragmatic functions of both constructions, focusing on focal interpretation in essere tipo and expletive negation in non io che. The findings shed light on cross-linguistic influence and ongoing grammatical change in Italian netspeak.