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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

abanzh ni a lodge pole; a rafter

abashkwebiigininjiishin vai s/he gets a blister or blisters on h/ hand

abashkwebiigizi vai s/he has a blister or blisters

abashkwebiigizideshin vai s/he gets a blister or blisters on h/ foot

abaabas vta smudge, cense h/; smoke h/ (for preservation)

Paired with: abaabasan vti

abaabasan vti smudge, cense it; smoke it (for preservation)

Paired with: abaabas vta

(detransitive) abaabasige vai s/he smudges, censes things
abaabasige vai s/he smudges, censes things

abaabaso vai s/he smudges, censes h/ self

abaabaswi vta [NI]

► abaabas vta

abaabikizan vti warm it (mineral), heat it (mineral) up

Paired with: abaabikizwi vta

abaabikizwi vta [NI]

► abaabikizwi vta

abaabikizwi vta warm it (animate; mineral), heat it (animate; mineral) up

Paired with: abaabikizan vti

abaagamide vii it (liquid) warms up, is warm, is lukewarm

abaagamide-nibi ni warm water, lukewarm water

abaagamizamaw vta warm something (liquid) up for h/

abaagamizan vti warm it (liquid)

(detransitive) abaagamizige vai s/he warms something liquid (benefactive) abaagamizamaw vta warm something (liquid) up for h/
abaagamizige vai s/he warms something liquid

abaakiganezo vai s/he warms h/ front against fire

abaapiniziwaagan pc interj

abaasandeke vai s/he basks in the sun

abaaso vai s/he warms up in the sun

Paired with: abaate vii

abaate vii it warms up (of the weather)

Paired with: abaaso vai

abaawiganezo vai s/he warms h/ (own) back

abi vai s/he is at home, sits in a certain place

Paired with: ate vii

(derived noun) abiwin ni a room, a living room (applicative) abiitan vti live in, occupy it (applicative) abiitaw vta sit up with, tend to h/ (e.g., the deceased at a wake, a sick person) (verb of undergoing) abiichigaade vii it is occupied
abide vii it warms up, is warmed at a fire or stove

Paired with: abizo vai

abidiyezo vai s/he warms h/ rear against fire

abinaas ni a placenta

abininjiizo vai s/he warms h/ (own) hands

abinoojiinh na a child

(verb of pretending) abinoojiinyikaazo vai s/he pretends to be a child (verb of being) abinoojiinyiwi vai s/he is a child (verb of possession) odabinoojiinyimi vai s/he has a child or children; s/he is expecting a child (derived noun) abinoojiinyens na a baby
abinoojiinh-makizinens ni a child's shoe or moccasin

abinoojiinyens na a baby

abinoojiinyikaazo vai s/he pretends to be a child

abinoojiinyiwi vai s/he is a child

abinoonjii na

► abinoojiinh na

abiwin ni a room, a living room

abiz vta warm h/ at the fire

Paired with: abizan vti

(reflexive) abizodizo vai s/he warms h/ self at the fire or stove
abizamaw vta warm something for h/ at the fire

abizan vti warm it at the fire

Paired with: abiz vta

(benefactive) abizamaw vta warm something for h/ at the fire (detransitive) abizige vai s/he warms (something) at the fire (verb of undergoing) abizigaade vii it is warmed at the fire (by someone), "they" warm it at the fire (verb of undergoing) abizigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is warmed at the fire (by someone), "they" warm h/ or it at the fire
abizidezo vai s/he warms h/ (own) foot or feet

abizidezwi vta warm h/ foot or feet

abizigaade vii it is warmed at the fire (by someone), "they" warm it at the fire

abizigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is warmed at the fire (by someone), "they" warm h/ or it at the fire

abizige vai s/he warms (something) at the fire

abizo vai s/he warms up at a heat source (a fire, a stove, the sun, etc.)

Paired with: abide vii

abizodizo vai s/he warms h/ self at the fire or stove

abizwi vta [NI]

► abiz vta

abiichigaade vii it is occupied

abiigizan vti warm it (something sheet-like) at a fire

Paired with: abiigizwi vta [NI]

(detransitive) abiigizige vai s/he warms something (sheet-like) at the fire; s/he warms the drum
abiigizige vai s/he warms something (sheet-like) at the fire; s/he warms the drum

abiigizigewinini na a drum heater

abiigizwi vta [NI] warm h/ at fire (as something sheet-like)

Paired with: abiigizan vti

abiingwezo vai s/he warms h/ (own) face against the fire

abiitan vti live in, occupy it

Paired with: abiitaw vta

(verb of undergoing) abiichigaade vii it is occupied
abiitaw vta sit up with, tend to h/ (e.g., the deceased at a wake, a sick person)

abiiwigamig ni a living room

abwaadan vti roast, cook it over a fire

Paired with: abwaazh vta

(detransitive) abwaajige vai s/he roasts things over a fire (derived noun) abwaajigan na bread cooked over a fire (derived noun) abwaajigan ni roasted meat or fish
abwaajigan na bread cooked over a fire

abwaajigan ni roasted meat or fish

abwaajige vai s/he roasts things over a fire

abwaan ni a roast

abwaanamik na [BL] a roasted beaver

abwaanaak ni a spit, a stick for roasting something over a fire

abwaanaako-bakwezhigan na [BL] bannock baked on a spit over a fire

abwaazh vta roast, cook h/ over a fire

Paired with: abwaadan vti

abwe vai s/he roasts, cooks something over a fire

abwen vai + o roast, cook it over a fire; s/he cooks (it) over a fire (derived noun) abwewin ni a frying pan (applicative) abwaazh vta roast, cook h/ over a fire (applicative) abwaadan vti roast, cook it over a fire
(derived noun) abwaajigan na bread cooked over a fire (derived noun) abwaajigan ni roasted meat or fish (detransitive) abwaajige vai s/he roasts things over a fire
(derived noun) abwaan ni a roast
abwemaagozi vai s/he smells sweaty

Paired with: abwemaagwad vii

abwemaagwad vii it smells sweaty

Paired with: abwemaagozi vai

abwen vai + o s/he cooks (it) over a fire; roast, cook it over a fire

abwendibe vai s/he has a sweaty head

abwenike vai s/he has a sweaty arm or sweaty arms

abweninjii vai s/he has a sweaty hand

abwewas vta cure h/ over a fire

Paired with: abwewasan vti

abwewasan vti cure it over a fire

Paired with: abwewas vta

(detransitive) abwewasige vai s/he cures things over a fire (derived noun) abwewasigan ni fire-cured meat or fish
abwewasigan ni fire-cured meat or fish

abwewasige vai s/he cures things over a fire

abwewaswi vta [NI]

► abwewas vta

abwewin ni a frying pan

abwewinaabik ni a frying pan

abweyiingwe vai s/he has a sweaty face

abwezide vai s/he has a sweaty foot

abwezo vai s/he sweats

abwi ni a paddle

(verb of making) abwiike vai s/he makes paddles
(benefactive) abwiikaw vta make a paddle or paddles for h/
(verb of possession) odabwii vai s/he has a paddle or paddles (derived noun) abwiikaan na [BL] a propeller
abwiikaanens na a boat propeller or outboard motor propeller
abwiikaw vta make a paddle or paddles for h/

abwiikaan na [BL] a propeller

abwiikaanens na a boat propeller or outboard motor propeller

abwiike vai s/he makes paddles

achaab ni a bowstring

(verb of making) achaabike vai s/he makes a bowstring (verb of possession) odachaabii vai s/he has a bowstring
achaabike vai s/he makes a bowstring

achaawise vai s/he limps

achigaadan vti bet, wager it

Paired with: achigaazh vta

achigaade vii it is put in a certain place (by someone), "they" put it in a certain place

achigaazh vta bet, wager h/

Paired with: achigaadan vti

achigaazo vai s/he is put in a certain place (by someone), "they" put h/ in a certain place

achige vai
  1. s/he puts things in a certain place
  2. s/he bets, places a bet

achikinaakobijigan ni [BL] a fence, a corral

achinaateshimoono vai s/he or it animate lies in the shade, is behind a cloud

adaam vta buy (it) from h/

(reciprocal) adaandiwag vai they buy (it) from each other
adaandiwag vai they buy (it) from each other

adaawam vta borrow (it) from, rent (it) from h/

(detransitive) adaawange vai borrow it , rent it from someone
(verb of addiction) adaawangeshki vai s/he always borrows
(detransitive) adaawangen vai + o borrow, rent it from people
adaawange vai borrow it , rent it from someone

(verb of addiction) adaawangeshki vai s/he always borrows

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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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.