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zhabwaate-mazinaakizo vai

zhagashka' vta spread h/ on (using something)

zhagashka'amaw vta spread, smear (it) on for h/

zhagashka'an vti spread, smear it on (using something)

(benefactive) zhagashka'amaw vta spread, smear (it) on for h/ (verb of undergoing) zhagashka'igaade vii it is spread on, smeared on (by someone), "they" spread, smear it on
zhagashka'igaade vii it is spread on, smeared on (by someone), "they" spread, smear it on

zhagashka'igewi-mookomaan ni a table knife; a butter knife

zhagashka'wi vta

► zhagashka' vta

zhagashkaamikibagizo vai [BL] s/he flattens onto the bottom of the lake

zhagashkaanaamik adv loc against the bottom of a lake

zhagashkaanaamikwesi na a sauger

[
sauger, sand pike
; 
Sander canadensis
]

zhagashkaandawe na a flying squirrel

[
northern flying squirrel
; 
Glaucomys sabrinus
]

zhagashkaasin vii it is levelled by the wind

Paired with: zhagashkaashi vai

zhagashkaashi vai s/he is levelled by the wind; s/he glides in the air

Paired with: zhagashkaasin vii

zhagashkibatoo vai s/he runs stooped down

zhagashkishin vai s/he lies low, lies flat

zhagashkitaa vai s/he crouches down, ducks down, stoops

zhagashkii vai s/he crouches down, ducks down, stoops

zhagashkoode vai s/he crawls flat to the ground

zhakakamigaa vii it is damp ground

zhakamo vai s/he puts (something) in h/ (own) mouth, eats something

zhakamodaw vta spoon feed h/

zhakamoozh vta put something in h/ mouth, spoon-feed h/

zhakaa vii it is damp

Paired with: zhakizi vai

zhakaagonagaa vii there is soft wet snow

zhakipon vii wet snow falls

zhakizi vai s/he or it (animate) is damp

Paired with: zhakaa vii

zhakiigad vii it (sheet-like) is damp

Paired with: zhakiigizi vai

zhakiigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is damp

Paired with: zhakiigad vii

zhashagi na a blue heron

[
great blue heron
; 
Ardea herodias
]

zhawabaaginan vti bend it over, bow it

zhawabaagishkaa vai it (animate) bends over

zhawabaagishkoode vii it bends over from the weight of something

Paired with: zhawabaagishkoozo vai

zhawabaagishkoozo vai it (animate) bends over from the weight of something

Paired with: zhawabaagishkoode vii

zhawabaagone vai

zhawabaakizo vai

zhawabishkoode vii it bends over, collapses from weight

zhawabishkoozo vai it (animate) bends over (from weight)

zhawendan vti bless, pity it

Paired with: zhawenim vta

(detransitive) zhawenjige vai s/he is merciful, is kind-hearted, has pity
(derived noun) zhawenjigewin ni a blessing, mercy, kindness
(detransitive) zhawendaaso vai s/he is loving and kind, gives uncondiitonal love
zhawendaagozi vai s/he is blessed, is fortunate, is loveable

Paired with: zhawendaagwad vii

zhawendaagwad vii it is blessed, cared for, loved (by someone)

Paired with: zhawendaagozi vai

zhawendaaso vai s/he is loving and kind, gives uncondiitonal love

zhawendaawasowin ni

zhawenim vta bless, pity h/; show loving-kindess, unconditional love for h/; have mercy, compassion for h/

(reciprocal) zhawenindiwag vai they bless, pity each other; they have mercy, compassion for each other; they show loving-kindness, unconditional love for each other
(derived noun) zhawenindiwin ni mutual compassion, loving-kindness, unconditional love
(reflexive) zhawenindizo vai s/he is kind to h/ self
zhawenimigoowizi vai s/he receives blessings

zhawenindiwag vai they bless, pity each other; they have mercy, compassion for each other; they show loving-kindness, unconditional love for each other

zhawenindiwin ni mutual compassion, loving-kindness, unconditional love

zhawenindizo vai s/he is kind to h/ self

zhawenjigaade vii be respected; it is beloved

zhawenjigaazo vai be respected; s/he is beloved

zhawenjige vai s/he is merciful, is kind-hearted, has pity

zhawenjigewin ni a blessing, mercy, kindness

zhawimin ni [N] a grape

zhawiminaabo ni [BL] grape juice

zhayiigwa adv tmp already; now

zhazhaashaga'amii vai s/he walks with h/ feet splayed out

zhazhaashagizide vai s/he has splayed-out feet

zhazhiibanaabaawe vai s/he is able to hold breath under water

zhazhiibitam vai2 s/he is stubborn, is disobedient

(derived noun) zhazhiibitamowin ni disobedience
zhazhiibitamowin ni disobedience

zhaabobatoo vai s/he runs through

zhaabobide vii it falls, drives through

Paired with: zhaabobizo vai

zhaabobizo vai s/he or it (animate) falls, drives through

Paired with: zhaabobide vii

zhaabobii vii it is saturated

zhaabobiiginan vti strain it

(derived noun) zhaabobiiginigan ni a strainer
zhaabobiiginigan ni a strainer

zhaaboganaam vta punch through h/

Paired with: zhaaboganaandan vti

zhaaboganaandan vti punch through it

Paired with: zhaaboganaam vta

(detransitive) zhaaboganaanjige vai s/he punches through something
zhaaboganaanjige vai s/he punches through something

zhaabojiwan vii it flows, drips, leaks through

zhaabokaawizi vai s/he has diarrhea

zhaabokaawiziiwaapine vai s/he has dysentery

(derived noun) zhaabokaawiziiwaapinewin ni dysentery
zhaabokaawiziiwaapinewin ni dysentery

zhaabon vta put h/ through

Paired with: zhaabonan vti

zhaabonan vti put it through

Paired with: zhaabon vta

(detransitive) zhaabonige vai s/he pushes things through (verb of undergoing) zhaabonigaade vii it is pushed through by somebody [by/with hand] (verb of undergoing) zhaabonigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is pushed through by somebody (by/with hand) (derived noun) zhaabonigan ni a needle
zhaabonaagozi vai s/he or it (animate) is transparent, can be seen through

Paired with: zhaabonaagwad vii

zhaabonaagwad vii it is transparent, can seen through

Paired with: zhaabonaagozi vai

zhaabondawaan ni a long lodge with doors at both ends

zhaabonigan ni a needle

zhaabonigaade vii it is pushed through by somebody [by/with hand]

zhaabonigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is pushed through by somebody (by/with hand)

zhaabonige vai s/he pushes things through

zhaabonikese vai
  1. s/he has h/ arm go through
  2. an engine throws a rod

zhaabose vii it goes through, passes through

zhaaboskwagad vii blood seeps through it

Paired with: zhaaboskwagizi vai

zhaaboskwagizi vai blood seeps through h/

Paired with: zhaaboskwagad vii

zhaaboshkaachigan ni a sifter

zhaaboshkaachige vai s/he sifts things

zhaaboshkaatoon vti2 sift it

(detransitive) zhaaboshkaachige vai s/he sifts things (derived noun) zhaaboshkaachigan ni a sifter
zhaabowe vai s/he sings an accompaniment (of women)

zhaabowebin vta shove h/ through (by hand); throw h/ through

Paired with: zhaabowebinan vti

zhaabowebinan vti throw it through; shove it through (by hand)

Paired with: zhaabowebin vta

(derived noun) zhaabowebinigan ni [BL] a sifter
zhaabowebinigan ni [BL] a sifter

zhaabowebishkan vti kick it through; shove it through (with foot or body)

Paired with: zhaabowebishkaw vta

zhaabowebishkaw vta kick h/ through; shove h/ through (with foot or body)

Paired with: zhaabowebishkan vti

zhaabozigan ni a laxative

zhaaboode vai s/he crawls through (a barrier)

zhaaboomin na a gooseberry

[
northern gooseberry
; 
Ribes oxyacanthoides
]

(verb of abundance) zhaaboominikaa vii there are (many) gooseberries
zhaaboominagaawanzh na a gooseberry bush

[
Northern gooseberry
; 
Ribes oxyacanthoides
]

zhaaboominikaa vii there are (many) gooseberries

zhaabwakwazhiwe vai s/he paddles through; s/he swims through (as a fish)

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

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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.