Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

gashkaakwa'igaade vii it is locked (by someone), "they" lock it

gashkaakwa'ige vai s/he locks things, locks the door

gashkaaso vai s/he is sunburned

gashkendam vai2 s/he is lonely, is lonesome, is sad

gashkibidaagan na a bag with closeable top: a tobacco bag, a pipe bag, a satchel; [ML] a bandolier bag

gashkibidaagan ni a bag that can be pulled closed: a pouch, a tobacco bag, a pipe bag, a bundle, a satchel

See also: gashkibidaagan na

gashkibide vii it is wrapped and tied in a bundle

Paired with: gashkibizo vai

gashkibidoon vti2 wrap and tie it in a bundle

Paired with: gashkibizh vta

(detransitive) gashkibijige vai s/he wraps and ties things in bundle (verb of undergoing) gashkibijigaade vii it is wrapped and tied in a bundle (by someone) (verb of undergoing) gashkibijigaazo vai s/he is wrapped and tied in a bundle (by someone) (derived noun) gashkibijigan ni a bundle, a package, a packet (derived noun) gashkibidaagan na a bag with closeable top: a tobacco bag, a pipe bag, a satchel; [ML] a bandolier bag (derived noun) gashkibidaagan ni a bag that can be pulled closed: a pouch, a tobacco bag, a pipe bag, a bundle, a satchel
gashkibijigan ni a bundle, a package, a packet

gashkibijigaade vii it is wrapped and tied in a bundle (by someone)

gashkibijigaazo vai s/he is wrapped and tied in a bundle (by someone)

gashkibijige vai s/he wraps and ties things in bundle

gashkibizh vta wrap and tie h/ in a bundle

Paired with: gashkibidoon vti2

gashkibizo vai s/he is wrapped and tied in a bundle

Paired with: gashkibide vii

gashkichige vai s/he acquires something, earns something, is able (to do something)

gashkidaasebizo vai s/he wears leg garters

(derived noun) gashkidaasebizon ni a leg garter
gashkidaasebizon ni a leg garter

gashkigwaadamaw vta sew (it) for h/

gashkigwaadan vti sew it

Paired with: gashkigwaazh vta

(benefactive) gashkigwaadamaw vta sew (it) for h/
gashkigwaade vii it is sewn

Paired with: gashkigwaazo vai

gashkigwaajigaagen vai sew (with it)

gashkigwaaso vai s/he sews

(derived noun) gashkigwaason na [ML] a sewing machine
gashkigwaason na [ML] a sewing machine

See also: gashkigwaason ni [LL]

gashkigwaason ni [LL] a sewing machine

See also: gashkigwaason na [ML]

gashkigwaasonaabik ni [BL] a sewing machine

gashkigwaasonaabiko-asabaabisens na [NI]

gashkigwaasonaabiko-zhaabonigan ni [BL] a sewing machine needle

gashkigwaasoneyaab ni sewing thread

gashkigwaasoowigamig ni a room or building for craft work, a sewing room

gashkigwaazh vta sew h/

Paired with: gashkigwaadan vti

gashkigwaazo vai s/he is sewn

Paired with: gashkigwaade vii

gashki' vta earn h/ (e.g., money); manage h/ or it (animate); overpower, prevail over, conquer h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: gashkitoon vti2

gashki'ewizi vai s/he accomplishes, succeeds

gashki'o vai s/he gets free; s/he is able

gashkin vta be able to hold, lift, carry h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: gashkinan vti

gashkinan vti be able to hold, lift, carry it

Paired with: gashkin vta

gashkinikebizon ni an armband

gashkitaw vta be able to get (it) for h/, manage (it) for h/

gashkitoon vti2 be able to do, succeed at, manage it

Paired with: gashki' vta

(benefactive) gashkitaw vta be able to get (it) for h/, manage (it) for h/ (detransitive) gashkichige vai s/he acquires something, earns something, is able (to do something)
gashkiwane vai s/he is able to carry a pack

gashkiwidoon vti2 be able to take, carry it

Paired with: gashkiwizh vta

(detransitive) gashkiwijige vai s/he is able to carry, take things (verb of undergoing) gashkiwijigaade vii "they" are able to carry, take it (verb of undergoing) gashkiwijigaazo vai "they" are able to carry, take h/
gashkiwijigaade vii "they" are able to carry, take it

gashkiwijigaazo vai "they" are able to carry, take h/

gashkiwijige vai s/he is able to carry, take things

gashkiwizh vta be able to take, carry h/

Paired with: gashkiwidoon vti2

gashkii- pv lex

gashkii-dibik-ayaa vii it is dark as night

gashkii-dibikad vii it is very dark at night

gashkii-dibikate vii it is dark as night inside

gashkiidibikad vii it is dark, gets dark (as night)

gashkiidibikate vii it is a pitch-dark indoors

gashkiidibikaakwaa vii the forest is dark

gashkiidibikibizonike vai s/he drives without lights

gashkiidibikinam vai2 s/he can't see in the dark

gashkiidibikinaagwad vii it looks dark as night

gashkiigabi vai s/he sits wrapped up in a blanket

See also: gashkiigabin vai + o

gashkiigabin vai + o sit wrapped up in it (sheet-like)

See also: gashkiigabi vai

gashkiigapide vii it is wrapped up and tied

Paired with: gashkiigapizo vai

gashkiigapidoon vti2 wrap it up and tie it

Paired with: gashkiigapizh vta

gashkiigapizh vta wrap it (animate) up and tie it

Paired with: gashkiigapidoon vti2

gashkiigapizo vai s/he or it (animate) is wrapped up and tied

Paired with: gashkiigapide vii

gashkiigashkwemaginan vti cover it over with bark

gashkiigin vta wrap h/

Paired with: gashkiiginan vti

gashkiiginamaw vta wrap (it) for h/

gashkiiginan vti wrap it

Paired with: gashkiigin vta

(detransitive) gashkiiginige vai s/he wraps things (benefactive) gashkiiginamaw vta wrap (it) for h/
gashkiiginigan ni a wrapped package or pack

gashkiiginigaade vii it is wrapped (by someone), "they" wrap it

gashkiiginigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is wrapped up; "they" wrap h. or it (animate) up

gashkiiginige vai s/he wraps things

gashkiigisidoon vti2 wrap it; cover it with cloth

Paired with: gashkiigishim vta

gashkiigishim vta wrap h/ up; cover h/ with cloth

Paired with: gashkiigisidoon vti2

gashkiigii vai s/he wraps h/ self up in a blanket

See also: gashkiigiin vai + o

gashkiigiin vai + o wrap up in it (sheet-like)

See also: gashkiigii vai

gashkiiwakwad vii the sky is overcast; cloud cover forms

gashkiiwanakwad vii there are dark clouds

gashkiiwaanakwagoode vii there are dark clouds in the sky

gashkiiwegabi vai s/he sits covered over with a blanket, sits wrapped up

gashkiiwegidaabaan ni a sled wrapper

gashkiiwegin vta wrap h/, it (animate) in a bundle

Paired with: gashkiiweginan vti

gashkiiweginan vti wrap it in a bundle

Paired with: gashkiiwegin vta

gashkiiwegishin vai s/he lies covered over with a blanket, is wrapped (in something sheet-like)

gashkiiwiingwepizh vta blindfold h/

gashkiiwiingwepizo vai s/he is blindfolded

gashkiiwiingweshin vai s/he lies with h/ face covered

gashkoom vta be able to carry or lift h/ on the back

Paired with: gashkoondan vti

gashkoondan vti be able to carry or lift it on the back

Paired with: gashkoom vta

gawademo vai s/he cries and suddenly collapses, cries h/self to sleep

gawaganaam vta knock h/ over, down (by hitting)

Paired with: gawaganaandan vti

gawaganaandan vti knock it down, over (by hitting)

Paired with: gawaganaam vta

gawa' vta fell it (animate), chop it (animate) down

Paired with: gawa'an vti

gawa'amaw vta chop (it) down for h/; fell it for h/

gawa'an vti fell it, chop it (something stick-like) down

Paired with: gawa' vta

(benefactive) gawa'amaw vta chop (it) down for h/; fell it for h/ (detransitive) gawa'ige vai s/he chops things down (verb of undergoing) gawa'igaade vii it is chopped down (by someone), "they" chop it down (verb of undergoing) gawa'igaazo vai it (animate) is chopped down (by someone), "they" chop it (animate) down
gawa'igaade vii it is chopped down (by someone), "they" chop it down

gawa'igaazo vai it (animate) is chopped down (by someone), "they" chop it (animate) down

gawa'ige vai s/he chops things down

gawaji vai s/he is so cold s/he can't move, freezes to death

gawam vta chew h/ down

Paired with: gawandan vti

gawanaandam vai2 s/he starves

gawandan vti chew it down

Paired with: gawam vta

gawanokii vai s/he collapses from overwork

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.