Prokhorenkov V. The vocative case in the Old Russian language.

The objects are syntactical constructions with the vocative case in the Old Russian language. The aim is the system multi-aspect analysis of the formal - syntactical, semantic-syntactical, function-category and communicative features of the vocative case in the Old Russian language. The methods are descriptively - analytical, transformation and comparative analysis, quantitative inventories. The thesis offers a justification of the case status of the vocative form in the Old Russian language. It analyses formally syntactical and properly semantico-syntactical functions of the vocative form, taking into account the syncretism of its meaning and the transpositional potential of the vocative form. The investigation establishes the reasons for using the vocative case in the function of subject, its syntagmatic peculiarities in this function. It analyses the interrelation between the category of person of the verb and the noun in the vocative case in representing the formally syntactic and semantico-syntactic characteristics of the case form. It studies the correlation of the speaker's will and the potential possibilities of the person represented by the vocative form in imperative sentences and defines the role of the vocative case in realizing modal shades of meaning of imperative constructions. The thesis offers a characteristic of semantico-syntactic complication of the sacral name in the vocative case. It explores the usage of the vocative form in the function of direct address in different communicative types of the sentence in the Old Russian language. The thesis justifies the idea of the preservation of the vocative case in the modern Russian language. Sphere of use is the training courses.