In linguistics, the Abessive case is a noun case expressing the lack and absence of something. It has the meaning of the English preposition "without." The name is derived from the Latin word abesse ("to be absent or away"). The case is found mainly in Finno-Ugric languages but can also be seen in Caucasian ones. In the latter, it receives the name of Caritive case.
In the Finnish language, the Abessive case is rarely used, especially in the spoken language. However, it is found in some commonly used expressions. One example in Finnish is puhumatta "without speaking."
Compare with the Essive and the Inessive cases.
es:Caso abesivo
fr:Abessif
