the language file has this "format":

COMPONENT_ITEM_FLY_NAME="bla bla bla"
COMPONENT_COLLECTION_VIEW_NAME="whatever you want"
COMPONENT_MENU_ITEM="Ciao Ciao"


Each line is a variable, but the lines are not "clearly" closed with the ";" symbol.
it perfectly works if you don't modify manually the file, but if you do it and the line is not clearly formatted with the "break line", the entire file will give error and joomla will not read the file at all.
so I guess to avoid any mistake, the file should be generated in this way:

COMPONENT_ITEM_FLY_NAME="bla bla bla";
COMPONENT_COLLECTION_VIEW_NAME="whatever you want";
COMPONENT_MENU_ITEM="Ciao Ciao";

I am not sure what you say is Joomla standard.

I guess not.

yes you are right.