Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

anokiitaadizo vai s/he works for h/ self

See also: anokiitaazo vai

anokiitaage vai s/he works for people

anokiitaazo vai s/he works for h/ self

See also: anokiitaadizo vai

anokiiwigamig ni a workshop, a factory

anokiiwikwe na a (female) worker

anokiiwin ni work, a job

anokiiwinikaa vii there is (a lot of) work

anokiiwinini na a worker, a male worker

anooj adv qnt all kinds; various; carelessly, abusively

anooj gegoo pron indf a variety of things; various things

anookii vai s/he hires, orders, commissions (someone)

anoozh vta hire, order, commission h/

anwaataa vai s/he stops doing something

anwaatin vii it is calm weather

anwebi vai s/he rests

anweshin vai s/he rests lying down

anwi ni something shot as a missle, a bullet, a shot gun shell

(verb of making) anwiike vai s/he makes bullets (verb of possession) odanwiimi vai s/he has bullets, has (shotgun) shells (derived noun) anwiins ni a small caliber bullet; a twenty-two bullet
anwii-baashkizigan ni a rifle

anwiike vai s/he makes bullets

anwiins ni a small caliber bullet; a twenty-two bullet

anzig na a merganser

anzhikegaabawi vai s/he stands alone

anzhike'amaazo vai [RL] s/he sings alone

anzhikewabi vai [RL] s/he lives alone, is home alone, sits alone

See also: nazhikewabi vai

anzhikewige vai s/he lives alone

See also: nazhikewige vai

anzikwe'o vai [RL] s/he combs h/ hair

See also: nazikwe'o vai

apabaadan vti sit on it

Paired with: apabaazh vta See also: apabaazh vta

apabaazh vta sit on h/

Paired with: apabaadan vti

apabi vai s/he sits on something

(derived noun) apabiwin ni a chair, a seat (applicative) apabaadan vti sit on it (applicative) apabaazh vta sit on h/
apabiwin ni a chair, a seat

apagadaganaam vta knock h/ down or against something (by hitting with force)

Paired with: apagadaganaandan vti

apagadaganaandan vti knock it down or against something (by hitting with force)

Paired with: apagadaganaam vta

apagada'an vii the wind blows against something

apagadaanimad vii it winds blows against or into something

apagadaasin vii it is blown against something

Paired with: apagadaashi vai

apagadaashi vai s/he is blown against something

Paired with: apagadaasin vii

apagadaashkaa vii waves beat against something

apagajinaazhikamaw vta drive game for h/

apagajinaazhikaw vta drive h/ as game

(detransitive) apagajinaazhikaage vai s/he drives game
apagajinaazhikaage vai s/he drives game

apagajise vai it (animate; tree) falls against something

Paired with: apagajise vii

apagajise vii it falls against something

Paired with: apagajise vai

apagajiwebaganaandan vti

apagajiwebagaanaam vta

apagamo vai s/he sings about something

apagidamaw vta throw something at or to h/

See also: apagidaw vta

apagidaw vta throw (it) at or to h/

See also: apagidamaw vta

(reciprocal) apagidaadiwag vai they throw (it) at each other
apagidaadiwag vai they throw (it) at each other

apagidoon vti2 throw it

Paired with: apagizh vta

(detransitive) apagijige vai s/he throws things (benefactive) apagidaw vta throw (it) at or to h/
(reciprocal) apagidaadiwag vai they throw (it) at each other
(benefactive) apagidamaw vta throw something at or to h/ (verb of undergoing) apagijigaade vii it is thrown (by someone), "they" throw it (verb of undergoing) apagijigaazo vai s/he is thrown (by someone), "they" throw h/
apagijigaade vii it is thrown (by someone), "they" throw it

apagijigaazo vai s/he is thrown (by someone), "they" throw h/

apagijige vai s/he throws things

apagijigewinini na a (baseball) pitcher

apagizh vta throw h/

Paired with: apagidoon vti2

apagizo vai s/he moves towards or against something fast: s/he throws h/ self down, falls or jumps against something

apa'idiwag vai they run to a certain place together

apa'igo vai s/he rides to a certain place, drives to a certain place (drawn by horse or dog)

See also: ipa'igo vai

apa'iwe vai s/he runs away from someone to a certain place

apakwaadan vti roof it

apakwaan ni roofing

apakwaanaajiinh na a bat

See also: bapakwaanaajiinh na

apakwe vai s/he puts on a roof, covers the lodge with bark

(derived noun) apakwaan ni roofing
apakwen vai + o roof something with it

apakweshkway na a cattail; a cattail mat

apam vta eat something with h/

Paired with: apandan vti

apambizon ni

apambizonens ni [BL] a (flat) cloth diaper

apamibizon ni [BL] what a baby is wrapped in

apandan vti eat something with it

Paired with: apam vta

(detransitive) apanjige vai s/he eats things with something else (e.g., butter with bread) apanjigan ni something extra added to food: a condiment, a side dish, a sauce
apane adv tmp all the time; always; continually

apangisin vii it falls down against

Paired with: apangishin vai

apangishin vai s/he falls down against

apani'o vai s/he makes a quick move there, makes a quick change of position (as in dancing)

apanjigan ni something extra added to food: a condiment, a side dish, a sauce

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

apatebiigise vai

apateshiwish na [BL] a pewee

[
eastern wood-peewee
; 
Contopus virens
]

apatoo vai s/he runs in a certain way; s/he runs to a certain place

apaabikinigan ni a potholder

apaabikinigan na an oven mitt

apaabowaadan vti season the soup with it

apaabowe vai s/he flavors, seasons soup

(applicative) apaabowaadan vti season the soup with it
apaabowen vai + o s/he flavors (it); s/he seasons (it)

apaakozigan ni [C] kinnikinnick (tobacco and bark smoking mixture)

See also: apaakozigan na [N]

apaakozigan na [N] kinnikinnick (tobacco and bark smoking mixture)

See also: apaakozigan ni [C]

apaakozige vai s/he makes or uses apaakozigan (kinnikinnick)

apegish adv pred I wish that ...; I hope that ...

See also: ambegish adv pred

apenimo vai s/he depends on, relies on something

(applicative) apenimonodan vti depend on, rely on it (applicative) apenimonodaw vta depend on, rely on h/
(reciprocal) apenimonodaadiwag vai they depend on, rely on each other
apenimon vai + o s/he depends on (it); s/he relies on (it)

apenimonodan vti depend on, rely on it

Paired with: apenimonodaw vta

apenimonodaw vta depend on, rely on h/

Paired with: apenimonodan vti

(reciprocal) apenimonodaadiwag vai they depend on, rely on each other
apenimonodaadiwag vai they depend on, rely on each other

apibii'an vti write on it

(detransitive) apibii'ige vai s/he writes on something (derived noun) apibii'igan ni something to write on: a desk
apibii'igan ni something to write on: a desk

apibii'ige vai s/he writes on something

apichi na [BL] a robin

[
American robin
; 
Turdus migratorius
]

See also: opichi na

apide vii it speeds, drives, flies to a certain place or in a certain way

See also: ipide vii

apiganegwaajigan ni a moccasin cuff

apigaabawi vai s/he stands on something

apigaabawin vai + o stand on it

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.