The article shows how the methodology of linguistic analysis of political concepts can be applied on the concept «statehood». This concept is often contested when political interests of nations that try to preserve the traditional approach to the understanding of state sovereignty as the main basis of the international law clash with the positions of self-determining nations. It was the case when Kosovo unilaterally proclaimed its independence in 2008. The declaration of independence made Serbia (on which territory Kosovo is located) to address the UN Assembly with the question about the correlation of this step with the existing norms of the international law. The fact of the address and the consent of the International Court of Justice to check if the proclamation of independence is in accordance with international law; and it demonstrates that this question is far from being settled. The concept «statehood» has been central to discussions in the International Court of Justice from 2008 until 2010 and it is the main point of the analysis of this article. The article uses the approach elaborated by the British political scientist Michael Freeden who proposed to study political concept as the main unit of political ideology. As the result of the analysis the universal and the specific semantic zones of this concept are elicited.