The article analyses linguistic legacy of an outstanding figure, who was involved in the establishment and flourishing of Ukrainian Studies, V. Simovych. Regardless of time and contradictory scientific proclamations, the importance of his research-based statements is still relevant and needs to be further professionally examined. In particular, there is not enough scientific exploration concerning the use of Czech structuralism achievements for Ukrainian linguistic needs; certain issues of historical phonetics and morphology; some aspects of the native language studying methodology, such as its communicative nature, all of these are of importance nowadays. The aim of the article is to demonstrate the place and role of V. Simovych’s linguistic legacy of Ukrainian linguistics and linguodidactics development. The prominent scientist’s linguistic activities can be interpreted in connection with the History of Ukrainian (historical phonetics, historical morphology, history of standard language) and Modern Ukrainian (lexicology, stylistics, language culture, orthography etc.). The linguist’s scientific viewpoint on the differentiation of the notions «phonetics» and «phonology», in which he clearly distinguishes the nature and functions of these level units, is extra important. Simovych’s idea about simultaneous functioning of two spellings in Ukrainian: a traditional Cyrillic one and a new one based on Roman alphabet, was not realized. Simovych’s scientific interests sphere included phonetics, orthography, language culture, morphology, historical lexicology and history of Ukrainian. Ukrainian spelling periodization developed by V. Simovych is worth experts’ attention.

1. Simovych stood up for the systematic approach in language, emphasizing that all language facts are the consequences of historic processes which function as patterns. He analyses phonetics in connection with the language laws and considers morphological facts as systematic phenomena. Hence his interpretation of historical processes which is a modern approach in linguistics indeed.

In V. Simovych’s scientific activities the most fruitful period was Czechoslovakian, during this period the scientist manifested himself not only as Ukraine patriot but also as a powerful linguist. He disapproved of linguistic russophilia, which he understood as not direct borrowings, but through Russian, that mutilated the phonetic, orthographic and grammatic forms of the word. Scientist’s works on historical morphology of Ukrainian, such as the aspects of establishment and development of nouns and adjectives, are worth to be studied. As to adjective history, he notes that a soft type developed later than a strong one. Linguodidactics was one of the aspects of V. Simovych’s scientific research. The scientist is an author of the manuals «Advice for correctors» (1916), «Short Ukrainian spelling» (1917), «How to become literate in Ukrainian» (1919), which were published for general population. In the manuals the issues of practical phonetics, spelling and grammar were considered. The researcher had an original approach to Ukrainian grammar teaching at school: he emphasized that it was not necessary to thoughtlessly memorize grammar rules, because you should form the skills of conscious practical material learning. This thought is consonant to the modern communicative approach in language learning. An integral part of scientist’s intellectual legacy are the works on the analyses of Ukrainian belles-lettres. The linguist gave competent comments on language and literature features of the authors whose works testify to the level of society development in the first half of the 20th century. Valuing the linguistic activities of an outstanding scientist, it is worth noting that his works are a powerful impulse for Ukrainian linguistics development as V. Simovych paid due attention to the retrospective as well as perspective aspects of the science. His research was concentrated on the issues of phonetics, orthography, lexicology, language culture, morphology, historical lexicology and the Ukrainian language history

history of Ukrainian linguistics, establishment and development of Ukrainian linguistics, structuralism, Ukrainian spelling, normalizing, onomastic works, terms creation, linguodidactics