Ukraine

[Roman Koropeckyj]

Robert De Lossa writes
>3. Ukrainian provided a dilemma with the shift to v + loc. for
>Ukrajina, because the motion counterpart then should have been *do Ukrajiny,
>which no one seems to produce, using instead v Ukrajinu... theoretically a
>Russism! I have queried a large number of native speakers on this, they almost
>all are flustered to realize the contradiction, but feel that *do
>Ukraijiny is unnaceptable. So that, clearly, the desinence is governing the use
>of the preposition (and not vice-versa): since do Rosiji, do Pol'shchi,
>etc. are acceptable, then it must be the form "Ukrajinu" (formerly of
>"na Ukrajinu" fame) that is determining acceptability as the motion
>phrase (instead of "do + gen." as in the other cases). So much for grammar.
>
In fact, one can find the forms "na Ukrajinu/Ukrajini" as well as "v
Ukrajinu/Ukrajini" in the poems of Taras Shevchenko (this being March,
hence a good a time as any to bring him into the discussion). Obviously,
"*do Ukrajiny" never appears.