kadumine

Kadumine is an Estonian noun meaning the act or state of disappearing, or the condition of being missing. It derives from the verb kaduma, “to disappear,” with the noun-forming suffix -mine, yielding kadumine, “disappearance” or “vanishing.” The term is used in both everyday language and more formal contexts.

In ordinary usage, kadumine describes something or someone that cannot be located. In legal, police, and news contexts, kadumine refers to cases of missing persons, including the filing of missing person reports, investigations, searches, and public notices regarding individuals who are unaccounted for. The concept also appears in discussions of loss, memory, or absence more generally.

In culture and media, kadumine is a common theme in Estonian literature, cinema, and journalism. It is used to explore topics such as the fragility of memory, the uncertainty surrounding a person’s whereabouts, and the processes by which communities respond to disappearances. Works or articles that address disappearance may use kadumine to foreground investigation, hope, and the social impact on families and communities.

See also: kaduma (to disappear); kadunud (missing).