The paper traces the dynamics of the interpretation of the grammatical nature of the vocative in Ukrainian grammars from the 16th century until the present. The subject of the analysis is the content and presentation of this category in two sections of Ukrainian grammar books: (1) morphological, which clarifies the status of the vocative in the inflectional paradigm of the noun, and (2) syntactic, in which the means of expressing address are characterized. Based on the findings of the research, various trends in the description of the vocative in different historical periods have been identified, in particular: (1) until the beginning of the 20th, it was unequivocally qualified as an equal member of the inflectional paradigm of the noun, equal to other cases; (2) from the beginning of the 20th century to 1933 was a period of competition between two theories (the vocative is a case the same as others or the vocative is not a true case, but a “special” form in the inflectional paradigm of the noun); (3) the canonization of the “fake case” status theory; (4) from 1991 to the present there has been an unanimity of authors in qualifying the vocative as a case. Comparing the stages of fundamental changes in the scientific definition of the vocative in grammars with defining events in the history of Ukraine provides the basis for discussions about the influence of socio–political factors on the representation of linguistic theories and the codification of the linguistic norms.