going without "without" - problem solved

Thanks to everybody for your input on my problem!  After
weighing the options, I've decided to convey the sense of
"without" by means of various periphrastic constructions.
When referring to a missing object, the object in question
occurs in a compound headed by the noun "otia", meaning
"lack", and the whole thing is put in the comitative case:

  Ne      nelhe itak    otiaia   tumulna
  she.Abs left  the.Com lack-Com coat-her
  "She left without her coat"
  (lit. "She left with-the lack [of] her-coat")

When referring to an event which failed to accompany the
main event, an adverbial clause (headed by a comitative
determiner) is used, with the verb negated.  Compare:

  Ne      nelhe itak    hesulyina
  she.Abs left  the.Com cry-Prog-Dep
  "She left crying"
  (lit. "She left with-it that-[she]-is-crying")

  Ne      nelhe itak    hesulotiyina
  she.Abs left  the.Com cry-Neg-Prog-Dep
  "She left without crying"
  or "She left not crying"
  (lit. "She left with-it that-[she]-is-not-crying")

This is the solution that seems to fit best with the
character of the language.

Matt.