Історія форм давального відмінка однини імен чоловічого роду в східнослов’янських мовах (лінгвоісторіографічний аспект)

The article is an attempt of lingvistic and historio-graphic study of the development of the morphological forms of the dative case singular of the East-Slavic masculine nouns, from Old-Russian through to the recent East-Slavic languages, based on numerous works by Ukrainian and Russian linguists of 1870 s.-1930 s. The author analyzes the respective linguists claims concerning the causes, conditions, stages and results of this process in East-Slavic languages, their contribution to the current researches of Old-Russian morphological evolution. The Ukrainian and Russian linguists claimed that the spread of the dative flexions -ови (-еви) within the -о -stem nouns was connected with their greater expressive force and the necessity to mark the category of person. The respective scholars stated that these flexions were characteristic for all Old-Russian dialects, especially the southern ones, and entirely disappeared from the Russian language. Some of the linguists were sure that these forms were actually Old-Russian, the others presumed their Old-Slavic origin (caused by the later impact of the Old-Slavic literature).