УКРАЇНСЬКІ МОВОЗНАВЦІ ПРО МОВУ І ВІРУ НАРОДУ ЯК ОСНОВУ ФОРМУВАННЯ НАЦІЇ
VIEWS OF UKRAINIAN LINGUISTS ON LANGUAGE AND FAITH AS THE KEYSTONE TO THE MAKING OF A NATION

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the research is to deepen information about the still relevant views of the Ukrainian linguists O. Potebnia and I. Ohiienko regarding the importance of the interrelation between linguistic and religious factors in the creation of a national mentality. Research methods: descriptive and comparative - for analysis, synthesis and generalization of scientific theories of O. Potebnia and I. Ohiienko; method of linguistic observation and systematization – for understanding the views of the Ukrainian linguists on the preservation of specific features in national languages, the assertion of self-sufficiency of the Ukrainian language as the spiritual basis of the nation. Scientific novelty. For the first time, the still relevant views of Ukrainian linguists Oleksandr Potebnia and Ivan Ohiienko on the role of linguistic and religious factors in the development of the national idea in Ukraine have been analyzed, which have made it possible to compare the two scientific positions and observe their common features. O . Potebnia addressed this problem having examined various theoretical issues concerning the development of verbal thinking of man, the transition from the concrete to the abstract, the beginning of faith in the supernatural power of word, its "incantatory" function (abstract words are spiritual prototypes of objects and phenomena and to manipulate these signs means to control these objects and phenomena. The linguist regarded verbal magic as the basis for the emergence of animism, and acknowledged that in the human activity, the unconscious processes pre dominate over the conscious ones while religion of which abstract thinking, providence and insight are characteristic, links to nonverbal thinking rather than to verbal. The scholar pointed out at the role of national memory which even without writing saved so many remnants of paganism that they are sufficient enough to recreate the image of paganism; he stressed the importance of "memory" of generations and of preserving the specific features of national languages and self-sufficiency of the Ukrainian language. I. Ohiienko developed the part of O. Potebnia’s legacy which was associated with the national language that is the spiritual foundation of the nation, exploring the most essential issues of Ukrainian linguistics, historical science and cultural studies. Taking steps towards creating the Ukrainian nation, he promoted Ukrainian as the liturgical language, developed a methodology for translation of the Holy Scriptures and liturgical texts into Ukrainian – the approach based on a search of expressive means of language able to faithfully render these texts, Holy Scriptures and liturgical books in Ukrainian, created one of the most perfect translations of the Holy Scriptures into living Ukrainian with occasional Church Slavonicisms thus proving, like O. Potebnia with his Ukrainian translation of the Odyssey, that the Ukrainian language is flexible, diverse and self-sufficient. The works of both scholars refer to the national idea based on the language and people’s faith.

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