Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

bakwadaabaawe vii it comes off from the water or rain

bakwadaabidebijige vai s/he pulls out teeth

bakwadaabidebinidizo vai s/he pulls h/ own tooth out

bakwadaabidebizh vta pull h/ tooth or teeth out

(detransitive) bakwadaabidebijige vai s/he pulls out teeth (reflexive) bakwadaabidebinidizo vai s/he pulls h/ own tooth out
bakwadaasin vii it is blown off of something

Paired with: bakwadaashi vai

bakwadaashi vai it (animate) is blown off of something

Paired with: bakwadaasin vii

bakwadinan vti take it off or remove it from something it is part of or attached to

bakwadizh vta cut h/ off from something

Paired with: bakwadizhan vti

bakwadizhan vti cut it off from something

Paired with: bakwadizh vta

bakwadizhwi vta [NI]

► bakwadizh vta

bakwajibidamaw vta pull it off or out of something for h/; pick, pluck it for h/

bakwajibide vii it comes off or has a piece come off in operation

bakwajibidoon vti2 pick, pluck, snatch it; pull it out or off of something

Paired with: bakwajibizh vta

(benefactive) bakwajibidamaw vta pull it off or out of something for h/; pick, pluck it for h/
bakwajibizh vta pick, pluck h/; pull h/ off or out of something

Paired with: bakwajibidoon vti2

bakwajisaga'igan ni a crowbar

bakwajise vii it comes out or off of something

Paired with: bakwajise vai

bakwajise vai it (animate) comes out or off of something

Paired with: bakwajise vii

bakwajisin vii it comes off from moving on or against something

bakwajiweba'an vti knock or pry it off (using something)

Paired with: bakwajiweba'wi vta

bakwajiweba'wi vta knock or pry it (animate) off

Paired with: bakwajiweba'an vti

bakwanii vii it (bark) is easy to get off the tree

bakwanii vai it (animate; a tree) has bark easy to get off

bakwanj ni a stump with exposed roots

bakwanjiikaan ni [NI] a gun stock

bakwazikaa vii it suddenly comes loose, detaches

bakwaabi vai s/he has h/ eye or eyes open up

bakwebidamaw vta tear a piece of (it) off for h/

bakwebidoon vti2 tear a piece off of it

Paired with: bakwebizh vta

(benefactive) bakwebidamaw vta tear a piece of (it) off for h/
bakwebizh vta tear a piece off of h/

Paired with: bakwebidoon vti2

bakwebiigad vii it is turbid, roiled, muddy (water)

bakwebiigamin vii the water is turbid, roiled, muddy

bakwebiigamise vii it becomes turbid, roiled, or muddy (water)

bakwebiigamise vii it (water) suddenly becomes dirty, turbid, roiled

bakwebiigaashkaa vii the waves make the water turbid, roiled, or muddy; the waves dirty the water

bakwebiigishkan vti dirty it (water) (by foot or body action); make it turbid, roiled, or muddy (by foot or body action)

(detransitive) bakwebiigishkige vai s/he dirties the water (by foot or body action); s/he makes the water turbid, roiled, or muddy (by foot or body action)
bakwebiigishkige vai s/he dirties the water (by foot or body action); s/he makes the water turbid, roiled, or muddy (by foot or body action)

bakweboodoon vti2 saw a piece off it

Paired with: bakweboozh vta

bakweboozh vta saw a piece off h/

Paired with: bakweboodoon vti2

bakwega' vta chop a piece off h/ (something of wood)

Paired with: bakwega'an vti

bakwega'an vti chops a piece off it (something of wood)

Paired with: bakwega' vta

bakwe' vta take a piece off h/ using something

Paired with: bakwe'an vti

bakwe'an vti take a piece off it using something

Paired with: bakwe' vta

bakwem vta bite a piece off h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: bakwendan vti

bakwen vta take a piece off h/ (by hand)

Paired with: bakwenan vti

bakwenamaw vta share a piece of (it) with h/, share (it) with h/

bakwenamaadiwag vai they share (it) with each other

bakwenan vti take a piece off it (by hand)

Paired with: bakwen vta

(detransitive) bakwenige vai s/he cuts cards (benefactive) bakwenamaw vta share a piece of (it) with h/, share (it) with h/
(reciprocal) bakwenamaadiwag vai they share (it) with each other
bakwenaamo vai h/ breath can be seen in the cold air

bakwendan vti bite a piece off it

Paired with: bakwem vta

(detransitive) bakwenjige vai s/he bites a piece off something
bakwene vii it smokes, is smoky or dusty

bakwenede vii it steams

bakwenese vii it emits a quick puff of smoke

bakwenibii vai s/he chokes while drinking

bakwenige vai s/he cuts cards

bakwenishkaago vai s/he chokes on food

bakwenjige vai s/he bites a piece off something

bakwesidoon vti2 chip it

Paired with: bakweshim vta

bakwesin vii it gets chipped on impact

Paired with: bakweshin vai

bakweshim vta chip h/

Paired with: bakwesidoon vti2

bakweshin vai it (animate) gets chipped on impact

Paired with: bakwesin vii

bakweshkaa vii it comes off in pieces

bakwewebishkan vti knock off a piece off it [with fast motion of body or foot]

Paired with: bakwewebishkaw vta

bakwewebishkaw vta knock off a piece off h/ [with fast motion of body or foot]

Paired with: bakwewebishkan vti

bakweyaabideshin vai s/he chips a tooth on something

bakweyaasin vii

bakwezh vta cut a piece off h/

Paired with: bakwezhan vti

bakwezhamaw vta cut (it) a piece off for h/

bakwezhan vti cut a piece off it

Paired with: bakwezh vta

(detransitive) bakwezhige vai s/he cuts pieces off something (benefactive) bakwezhamaw vta cut (it) a piece off for h/ (verb of undergoing) bakwezhigaade vii it has a piece cut off it, "they" cut a piece off it (verb of undergoing) bakwezhigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) has a piece cut off (by someone), "they" cut a piece off h/ or it (animate) bakwezhigan na
  1. bread, bannock
  2. flour
bakwezhigaans na a cookie, a cracker, a roll (verb of making) bakwezhiganike vai s/he makes bread, [N] makes bannock
(derived noun) bakwezhiganikewin ni bannock-making, bread-making (benefactive) bakwezhiganikaw vta make bannock for h/
(derived noun) bakwezhiganikaan na [BL] bannock
bakwezhigan na
  1. bread, bannock
  2. flour

bakwezhiganaabo ni soup with flour or dumplings

bakwezhiganaaboo ni gravy

bakwezhiganaabo ni soup with flour or dumplings bakwezhiganaaboons ni [BL] gravy (verb of making) bakwezhiganaabooke vai s/he makes dumpling soup
bakwezhiganaabooke vai s/he makes dumpling soup

bakwezhiganaaboons ni [BL] gravy

bakwezhigani-makak ni a bread box; a flour box

bakwezhigani-ozaawaakizigan ni a toaster

bakwezhiganikaw vta make bannock for h/

bakwezhiganikaan na [BL] bannock

bakwezhiganike vai s/he makes bread, [N] makes bannock

bakwezhiganikewigamig ni a bakery

bakwezhiganikewikwe na a baker (female)

bakwezhiganikewin ni bannock-making, bread-making

bakwezhiganikewinaagan ni a bread-mixing bowl; a mixing bowl

bakwezhiganikewinini na a baker

bakwezhiganiwazh ni flour sack

bakwezhigaade vii it has a piece cut off it, "they" cut a piece off it

bakwezhigaans na a cookie, a cracker, a roll

bakwezhigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) has a piece cut off (by someone), "they" cut a piece off h/ or it (animate)

bakwezhige vai s/he cuts pieces off something

bamendan vti care for it

Paired with: bamenim vta

bamenim vta care for h/

Paired with: bamendan vti

(reflexive) bamenindizo vai s/he takes care of h/ self, is self-reliant
bamenindizo vai s/he takes care of h/ self, is self-reliant

bami' vta take care of, look after, support, provide for, adopt h/

Paired with: bamitoon vti2

(reflexive) bami'idizo vai s/he takes care of h/ self, is self-reliant (detransitive) bami'iwe vai s/he takes care of people, is a care-giver bami'aagan na a supported one, an adopted one; a pet
bami'aagan na a supported one, an adopted one; a pet

bami'aagaans na a pet

bami'idizo vai s/he takes care of h/ self, is self-reliant

bami'iwe vai s/he takes care of people, is a care-giver

bamitoon vti2 take care of, protect, keep it

Paired with: bami' vta

bamoonzhe vai

banaganaam vta miss hitting h/

Paired with: banaganaandan vti

banaganaandan vti miss hitting it

Paired with: banaganaam vta

The Ojibwe People's Dictionary is developed and maintained by:
Nora Livesay, Editor
John D. Nichols, Founder and Linguistic Editor

with support and collaboration from the University of Minnesota's Department of American Indian Studies and University Libraries.

Additional Resources

Many of the words in the Ojibwe People's Dictionary have related resources. Click through to the full dictionary entry to hear audio recordings, see images, read documents and watch videos. Here's a key to resource icons.

  • Audio recordings
  • Images
  • Video
  • Documents

Speakers & Regions Key

Individual speakers and speakers from different regions use different words when speaking. Each audio recording is marked with the initials of the Ojibwe speaker. Click on a speaker's initials to go to the speaker's bio page. If an Ojibwe word is particular to a certain region, it will be marked with a region code. Click on the region code to go to the Regions page.