What is abessive case?

Definition
	Abessive case is a case that expresses the lack or absence of the referent of the noun it marks.
	It has the meaning of the English preposition without.

Discussion
	The term abessive case is used especially in studies of Finno-Ugric grammar. Its synonym caritive case is used in the description of some other languages, notably Caucasian ones.

Generic
	Abessive case is a kind of
	What is case?

Sources
	Pei and Gaynor 1954 3, 35
	Gove 1966 3

Context for this page:

Concept module: abessive case
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): A
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

© 2004 SIL International