Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

east wind
n
east wind
waabani-noodin ni east wind

easy
adj
easy
wendad vii it is easy, is simple, is cheap

Paired with: wendizi vai

wendizi vai s/he is easy, is cheap

Paired with: wendad vii

wenipanad vii it is easy

Paired with: wenipanizi vai

wenipanizi vai s/he is easy, does something easily

Paired with: wenipanad vii

easy going
bekaadizi vai s/he is quiet, is still, is easy-going

easy time with
wenji' vta make h/ easily, have an easy time with h/

Paired with: wenjitoon vti2

wenjitoon vti2 make it easily, have an easy time with it

Paired with: wenji' vta

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

Paired with: manaajitoon vti2

manaajitoon vti2 spare, respect, go easy on it

Paired with: manaaji' vta

na'egaaj adv man go easy!; not too hard!; easily; without effort

look easy
wenipaninaagozi vai s/he looks easy

Paired with: wenipaninaagwad vii

wenipaninaagwad vii it looks easy

Paired with: wenipaninaagozi vai

think easy
wenipanendan vti think it easy

wenipanenim vta think h/ easy

eat
vt
eat
wiisini vai s/he eats

amo vta eat h/

Paired with: miijin vti3

miijin vti3 eat it

Paired with: amo vta

change way of eating
aandanjige vai s/he changes h/ way of eating, changes h/ diet

eat a certain way
inam vta eat, bite h/ a certain way

Paired with: inandan vti

inandan vti eat, bite it a certain way

Paired with: inam vta

inanjige vai s/he eats a certain way, has a certain diet

eat accidentally
bitam vta bite, eat h/ accidentally

Paired with: bitandan vti

bitandan vti bite, eat it accidentally

Paired with: bitam vta

eat all
gidaanawe vai s/he eats it all, eats everything up

gidaan vti4 eat all of it, eat it up

Paired with: gidamo vta

gidamo vta eat all of h/, eat h/ up

Paired with: gidaan vti4

jaagam vta eat up all of h/

Paired with: jaagandan vti

jaagandan vti eat up all of it

See also: jaagam vta

jaaganjige vai s/he eats up all of something

eat breakfast
gigizhebaa-miijin vti3 eat it for breakfast

gigizhebaa-wiisini vai s/he eats breakfast

eat dinner
naawakwe-miijin vti3 eat it for lunch, for dinner (the noon meal)

naawakwe-wiisini vai s/he eats lunch, eats dinner (the noon meal)

eat enough
debisinii vai s/he has enough to eat, eats enough, is full

See also: de-wiisini vai

de-miijin vti3 eat enough of it

de-wiisini vai s/he has enough to eat, eats enough, is full

See also: debisinii vai

eat from a certain place
ondam vta eat h/ from a certain place

Paired with: ondandan vti

ondandan vti eat it from a certain place

Paired with: ondam vta

eat half
aabitawam vta eat half of h/

Paired with: aabitawandan vti

aabitawandan vti eat half of it

Paired with: aabitawam vta

eat in a certain place
danam vta eat it (animate) in a certain place

Paired with: danandan vti

danandan vti eat it in a certain place

Paired with: danam vta

dananjige vai s/he eats in a certain place

eat a light meal
nawajii vai s/he eats a light meal, takes a lunch break

eat lunch
naawakwe-wiisini vai s/he eats lunch, eats dinner (the noon meal)

naawakwe-miijin vti3 eat it for lunch, for dinner (the noon meal)

nawajii vai s/he eats a light meal, takes a lunch break

eat quickly
ginibam vta eat it (animate) quickly

Paired with: ginibandan vti

ginibandan vti eat it quickly

Paired with: ginibam vta

ginibanjige vai s/he eats quickly

eat raw food
ashkandan vti eat it raw

Paired with: ashkam vta

ashkam vta eat h/ raw

Paired with: ashkandan vti

eat secretly
giimoodam vta eat, bite h/ secretly

Paired with: giimoodandan vti

giimoodandan vti eat, bite it secretly

Paired with: giimoodam vta

giimoodanjige vai s/he eats things secretly

eat snow
amwaagone vai s/he eats snow

eat supper
onaagoshi-miijin vti3 eat it for supper

onaagoshi-wiisini vai s/he eats supper

eat up
gidaan vti4 eat all of it, eat it up

Paired with: gidamo vta

gidaanawe vai s/he eats it all, eats everything up

gidamo vta eat all of h/, eat h/ up

Paired with: gidaan vti4

eat well
mino-wiisini vai s/he eats well, likes what s/he eats

minwanjige vai s/he eats well, likes what s/he eats

eat with
wiidoopam vta eat with h/

wiidoopange vai s/he eats with others

wiidoopandiwag vai they eat with each other

eat with fingers
michininjiikanjige vai s/he eats with h/ fingers

eat with something else
apam vta eat something with h/

Paired with: apandan vti

apandan vti eat something with it

Paired with: apam vta

apanjige vai s/he eats things with something else (e.g., butter with bread)

dagwam vta eat h/ or it (animate) with something

Paired with: dagwandan vti

dagwandan vti eat it with something

Paired with: dagwam vta

go without eating
zhiibanaandam vai2 s/he can go without eating, can endure being hungry

heard eating
madwenjige vai s/he chews something audibly, is heard chewing

leave behind uneaten
ishkwam vta leave h/ behind uneaten

Paired with: ishkwandan vti

ishkwandan vti leave it behind uneaten

Paired with: ishkwam vta

start eating
maadam vta start eating, start chewing h/

Paired with: maadandan vti

maadandan vti start eating, start chewing it

Paired with: maadam vta

maadanjige vai s/he starts eating, starts chewing

used to eating
nagadam vta be used to eating h/

nagadandan vti be used to eating it

Paired with: nagadam vta

nagadanjige vai s/he is used to eating things

eavesdrop
vi
eavesdrop
giimitam vai2 s/he eavesdrops

giimitaw vta eavesdrop on h/

giimitaadiwag vai they eavesdrop on each other

echo
vi
echo
baswewe vii it echoes, resounds

Paired with: baswewe vai

baswewe vai s/he echoes, resounds

Paired with: baswewe vii

eclipse
n
eclipse
makadewaabikizi vai
  1. s/he is black (as something mineral)
  2. s/he is in eclipse, there is an eclipse (of the sun or moon)

Paired with: makadewaabikad vii

edge
n
go along the edge
bimaazhagaame vai s/he goes along on the shore or edge of something

jiigewe vai s/he goes along on the shore or edge

walk around the edge
giiwitaayaazhagaame vai s/he walks around a lake; s/he walks around the edge

educated
adj
educated
gikendaaso vai s/he is knows, is smart, is intelligent, is educated

education
n
education
gikinoo'amaagoowin ni education or teaching (that one receives); a lesson

gikinoo'amaadiwin ni teaching, education

education by preaching and exhortation
gagiikimaawasowin ni education by preaching and exhortation

Indian education
anishinaabe-gikinoo'amaadiwin ni Indian education, Native education

eelpout
n
eelpout
mizay na a ling, an eelpout, a burbot, a mariah, a lawyer (fish)

[
burbot
; 
Lota lota
]

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.