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 — a genuine ancient Russian work or a skillful forgery of antiquity, created in the 18th century. Both sides of this discussion are filled with passion, and various unscientific elements are often introduced, making it difficult in many cases to separate scientific arguments from emotional ones.
The loss of the only manuscript of this work deprives researchers of the ability to analyze the handwriting, paper, ink, and other material characteristics of the original source. Under such conditions, the most solid basis for resolving the issue of the authenticity or forgery of the «Tale of Igor's Campaign» turns out to be the language of this monument.
This book by the outstanding linguist Andrei Anatolyevich Zaliznyak (1935-2017) is dedicated to the study of the linguistic aspect of this issue.
The third edition of the book has been expanded compared to the first and second. The fourth edition reproduces the third with minor corrections, mostly made by the author for the electronic publication.
The book is intended for both philology specialists and a wider audience interested in the «Tale of Igor's Campaign» and its origins.