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mamaanjigwapizon ni a binder

mamaashkawaji vai s/he is frost-bitten

mamaashkawitawagewaji vai s/he has frozen ears

mamaazhi' vta overpower, prevail over, conquer h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: mamaazhitoon vti2

(detransitive) mamaazhi'iwe vai s/he overpowers, prevails over, conquers people
mamaazhi'iwe vai s/he overpowers, prevails over, conquers people

mamaazikaa vai s/he moves, is in motion, twitches

mamaazikaa vii it moves, is in motion, twitches

Paired with: mamaazikaa vai

mamaazhitoon vti2 prevail over, conquor it

Paired with: mamaazhi' vta

mamaazhizide vai s/he has deformed feet

mamaazhii vai s/he makes things badly, does a poor job

mamekwaadan vti [BL] brag, boast about it

Paired with: mamekwaazh vta [BL] See also: mamiikwaadan vti

mamekwaanidizo vai [BL] s/he brags, boasts about h/ self

mamekwaazh vta [BL] brag, boast about h/

Paired with: mamekwaadan vti [BL] See also: mamiikwaazh vta

mamekwaazo vai [BL] s/he brags (about h/ self), boasts

See also: mamiikwaazo vai

mami vta take h/, pick h/ up

Paired with: mamoon vti2

mamibidoon vti2 pick, pluck, snatch it

mamichigaadeshin vai s/he lies with h/ legs uncovered

mamichinikeshin vai s/he lies with h/ arms uncovered

mamichizideshin vai s/he lies with h/ feet uncovered

mamigaade vii it is taken (by someone), "they" take it, it is picked up (by someone), "they" pick it up

mamigaazo vai s/he is taken (by someone), "they" take h/, s/he is picked up (by someone), "they" pick h/ up

mamige vai s/he takes, picks up things

mamigobagizo vai s/he shakes h/ body (as in dancing)

mamigobidoon vti2 [N] rub it (with the hands) to loosen it, jiggle it

Paired with: mamigobizh vta [N]

mamigobizh vta [N] rub h/ (with the hands) to loosen h/, jiggle h/

Paired with: mamigobidoon vti2 [N]

mamigodenaniwebagizo vai s/he wiggles h/ tonque

mamigon vta rub it (animate) in the hand to loosen it

Paired with: mamigonan vti

mamigonan vti rub it in the hand to loosen it

Paired with: mamigon vta

mamigosaga'igan ni [BL] a scrub brush

See also: mimigosaga'igan ni

mamigoshkam vai2 [BL] s/he threshes, jigs something (e.g., wild rice)

Paired with: mimigoshkam vai2

mamigoshkan vti [BL] rub it (with foot or body) to loosen it; thresh, jig it (e.g., wild rice)

See also: mimigoshkan vti

mamigwaabika'igan ni [BL] a pot scrubber; a dish rag, a dish cloth

See also: mimigwaabika'igan ni

mamigwaakosidoon vti2 [BL] scrub it on a washboard, rub it against a board

See also: mimigwaakosidoon vti2

(detransitive) mamigwaakosijige vai [BL] s/he scrubs on a washboard (derived noun) mamigwaakosijigan ni [BL] a washboard
mamigwaakosijigan ni [BL] a washboard

See also: mimigwaakosijigan ni

mamigwaakosijige vai [BL] s/he scrubs on a washboard

See also: mimigwaakosijige vai

mamikwendam vai2 s/he has something come to mind every once in a while

mamikwendan vti s/he has it come to h/ mind every once in a while; s/he recalls, recollects, remembers it every once in a while

mamikwenim vta recall, recollect, remember, come to think of h/ every once in a while

maminaadendam vai2 s/he has proud thoughts, has an arrogant attitude

maminaadizi vai s/he is arrogant

maminiiwaabide vai s/he has abscessed teeth

maminwabi vai s/he keeps sitting comfortably

maminwaapi vai s/he laughs happily off and on; each laughs happily

mamiskojaabi vai s/he has red eyes

mamiskwanowe vai s/he has red cheeks

mamiskwaatese vii it flashes with a red light

mamiskwiiwitawage vai s/he has bloody ears

mamizh vta cut it (animate) out or off to take

Paired with: mamizhan vti See also: mamizhwi vta [NI]

mamizhan vti cut it out or off to take

Paired with: mamizh vta ; mamizhwi vta [NI]

mamizhim vta inform on, tell on, tattle on h/

(reciprocal) mamizhindiwag vai they inform on, tell on, tattle on each other (reflexive) mamizhindizo vai s/he informs on, tells on, tattles on h/ self (detransitive) mamizhinge vai s/he informs on, tells on, tattles on people
(verb of addiction) mamizhingeshki vai s/he is a tattle-tale
mamizhindiwag vai they inform on, tell on, tattle on each other

mamizhindizo vai s/he informs on, tells on, tattles on h/ self

mamizhinge vai s/he informs on, tells on, tattles on people

mamizhingeshki vai s/he is a tattle-tale

mamiziweganzhii vai s/he is hoofed, has hooves

mamizhwi vta [NI] cut it (animate) out or off to take

Paired with: mamizhan vti See also: mamizh vta

mamiidaawendam vai2 s/he is disturbed in h/ mind, is troubled in h/ mind

mamiikwaadan vti brag, boast about it; praise it

Paired with: mamiikwaazh vta See also: mamekwaadan vti [BL]

mamiikwaazh vta brag, boast about h/; praise h/

Paired with: mamiikwaadan vti See also: mamekwaazh vta [BL]

mamiikwaazo vai s/he praises h/ self, boasts, brags

mamiishigidigwe vai s/he has hairy knees

mamoon vti2 take it, pick it up

Paired with: mami vta

(benefactive) mamaw vta take (it) from, pick it up from h/ (detransitive) mamige vai s/he takes, picks up things (verb of undergoing) mamigaade vii it is taken (by someone), "they" take it, it is picked up (by someone), "they" pick it up (verb of undergoing) mamigaazo vai s/he is taken (by someone), "they" take h/, s/he is picked up (by someone), "they" pick h/ up
manashkikiwe vai s/he gathers medicine

manashkosiwe vai s/he cuts hay, puts up hay

manaadam vta eat sparingly of it (animate)

Paired with: manaadandan vti

manaadandan vti eat sparingly of it

Paired with: manaadam vta

manaaj'idizo vai s/he spares, respects, goes easy on h/ self

manaajichigaade vai it is spared, is respected (by someone), "they" spare, respect, go easy on it

manaajichigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is spared, is respected (by someone), "they" spare, respect, go easy on h/ or it (animate)

manaajichige vai s/he spares, respects, goes easy on things

manaaji' vta spare, respect, go easy on h/

Paired with: manaajitoon vti2

(reciprocal) manaaji'idiwag vai they spare, respect each other
(derived noun) manaaji'idiwin ni mutual respect
(reciprocal) manaaji'idizo vai
manaaji'idiwag vai they spare, respect each other

manaaji'idiwin ni mutual respect

manaaji'idizo vai

manaajitoon vti2 spare, respect, go easy on it

Paired with: manaaji' vta

(detransitive) manaajichige vai s/he spares, respects, goes easy on things (verb of undergoing) manaajichigaade vai it is spared, is respected (by someone), "they" spare, respect, go easy on it (verb of undergoing) manaajichigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is spared, is respected (by someone), "they" spare, respect, go easy on h/ or it (animate)
manaanzhide vai s/he gathers boughs

manaazom vta be reluctant to ask h/ or say something to h/; respect h/ in speech, respect h/ with words

manaazondiwag vai they respect each other in speech, respect each other with words
(derived noun) manaazondiwin ni mutual respect in speech
manaazondiwag vai they respect each other in speech, respect each other with words

manaazondiwin ni mutual respect in speech

mandaamin na corn, a kernel of corn

mandaaminashk ni a cornstalk

See also: mandaaminashk na

mandaaminashk na a cornstalk

See also: mandaaminashk ni

mandaaminashkoowigamig ni a corncrib

mandaaminaaboo ni corn soup

(verb of making) mandaaminaabooke vai s/he makes corn soup
mandaaminaabooke vai s/he makes corn soup

mandaaminaak na an ear of corn

mandaamini-gaapizigaansag na corn flakes

mandaamini-gitigaan ni a corn field

mandaaminiwazh ni a gunny sack

manepwaa vai s/he is short of tobacco, needs a smoke

manezin vai + o s/he is in need of, is short of (it)

mangadegamaa vii it is a wide lake

mangade' vta make h/ wide, widen h/

Paired with: mangadetoon vti2

mangadekamigaa vii it is a wide stretch of ground

mangadekoozhe vai s/he has a wide bill

mangademon vii it is wide (as a road or trail)

mangadengwe vai s/he has a broad face

mangadesagaa vii it has a wide floor area, is a wide room

mangadetigweyaa vii it is wide river

mangadetoon vti2 make it wide, widen it

Paired with: mangade' 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.

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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.