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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

leaf
n
leaf
aniibiish ni
  1. a leaf
  2. tea

aniibiishibag ni a leaf

basswood leaf
wiigobiibag ni a basswood leaf

big leaf
mangibagad vii it is a big leaf

mamaangibagaa vii there are big leaves; it has big leaves

Paired with: mamaangibagizi vai

mamaangibagizi vai it (animate) has big leaves

Paired with: mamaangibagaa vii

birch leaf
wiigwaasibag ni a birch leaf

bloody leaves
miskwiiwibagaa vii there are bloody leaves

bright leaves
waatebagaa vii there are bright leaves

brown leaves
ozaawibagaa vii there are brown or yellow leaves

dried leaves
gaaskibag ni a dried leaf

green leaves
ashkibag ni a fresh green leaf

ashkibagaa vii there are green leaves

leaves bud
zaagibagaa vii it buds; the leaves come out

many leaves
aniibiishikaa vii there are (many) leaves

maple leaf
ininaatigobag ni a maple leaf

prickly leaf
gaashibagad vii it is a pricky leaf

red leaves
miskobag ni a red leaf

miskobagaa vii there are red leaves

Paired with: miskobagizi vai

miskobagizi vai s/he (a tree) has red leaves

Paired with: miskobagad vii

rustle leaves
gaaskibagitoo vai s/he rustles leaves

gaaskibagishin vai s/he rustles leaves while walking or falling

gaaskibagaasin vii leaves rustle in the wind

slippery leaves
ozhaashibagaa vii there are slippery leaves

yellow leaves
ozaawibagaa vii there are brown or yellow leaves

leak
vi
leak
onjigaa vii it leaks, drips, runs with sap

Paired with: onjigaa vai

leak fast
gizhiigaa vii it drips, leaks fast

Paired with: gizhiigaa vai

start to leak
maajigaa vii it starts to leak, drip; it starts to run with sap

Paired with: maajigaa vai

lean
v
stand leaning against
aaswaakogaabawi vai s/he stands leaning against something (a wall, a tree)

aatwaakogaabawi vai s/he stands leaning against something (a wall, a tree)

lean against (stick-like)
aatwaakoshim vta lean h/ against (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: aatwaakosidoon vti2

aatwaakoshin vai s/he leans against (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: aatwaakosin vii

aatwaakosidoon vti2 lean it against (as something stick- or wood-like

Paired with: aatwaakoshim vta

aatwaakosin vii it leans against (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: aatwaakoshin vai

learn
vt
seek to learn
nanda-gikendan vti seek to know it, seek to learn it

Paired with: nanda-gikenim vta

learn
vi
learn by observation
gikinawaabam vta learn by observation of h/; imitate h/

gikinawaabi vai s/he learns by observation

least
n
in the least
ganage adv man in the least, by any means

See also: gaawiin ganage adv man ; gego ganage adv man

leather
n
leather
bashkwegin ni hide; leather

leather needle
n
leather needle
ashishawe-zhaabonigan ni a leather needle; a glovers needle

See also: ashashawe-zhaabonigan ni

ashashawe-zhaabonigan ni a leather needle; a glovers needle

See also: ashishawe-zhaabonigan ni

leave
[not take]
vt
leave leftovers
ishkwanjige vai s/he leaves leftovers

leave behind
nagadan vti leave it behind; abandon, outstrip it

Paired with: nagazh vta

nagazh vta leave h/ behind; abandon, outstrip h/

Paired with: nagadan vti

nagazhiwe vai s/he leaves people behind, abandons people

nagadamaw vta leave (it) behind for h/

leave
[go away]
vi
leave
maajaa vai s/he leaves, goes off, departs

pretend to leave
maajaakaazo vai s/he pretends to leave

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.