The Tale of Igor's Campaign: A Linguist's Perspective

For two hundred years, the discussion has not ceased regarding what "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" represents — an authentic ancient Russian work or an artful forgery of antiquity created in the 18th century. Passion has been poured into this... discussion from both sides, and various unscientific elements are often introduced, making it difficult in many cases to separate scientific argumentation from emotional appeals.
The loss of the only manuscript of this work deprives researchers of the opportunity to analyze the handwriting, paper, ink, and other material characteristics of the original source. In such conditions, the most solid basis for resolving the problem of authenticity or forgery of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" turns out to be the language of this monument.
The present book by the outstanding linguist Andrey Anatolyevich Zaliznyak (1935-2017) is dedicated to studying the linguistic side of this problem.
The third edition of the book has been expanded compared to the first and second editions. The fourth edition reproduces the third with minor corrections, mostly made by the author for electronic publication.
The book is intended for both specialists in philology and a wide range of readers interested in "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" and its origins.