Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

awas-ziigwanong adv tmp [ML] fall before last, autumn before last

See also: awasi-ziigwanong adv tmp

awasagaam adv loc on the other side of the water (a lake or river)

awasajiw adv loc beyond the mountain or hill; on the other side of the mountain or hill

awasaya'ii adv loc beyond it; on the other side of it

See also: awasayi'ii adv loc [N]

awasayi'ii adv loc [N] beyond it; on the other side of it

See also: awasaya'ii adv loc

awasaakwaa adv loc beyond the woods; on the other side of the woods

awasaatig adv loc on the other side of a tree or pole

awase-waakaa'igaan adv loc behind or beyond a building

awasekana adv loc around the bend of the road

awasew adv loc around on the other side of something ( a point, a bend in the road, etc.)

awasewa'o vai s/he paddles out of view around something

awasewe vai s/he goes out of view around something (around the point, the corner, the bend, etc.)

awasewebatoo vai s/he runs out of view (going around something)

awasewebide vii it drives out of view around something

Paired with: awasewebizo vai

awasewebizo vai s/he drives out of view around something

Paired with: awasewebide vii

awaseweya'ii adv loc

awaseweyaadagaa vai s/he swims out of view around something

awaseweyaadagaako vai s/he goes out of view on the ice

awaseweyaadagaame vai s/he goes out of view going along the shore or edge

awaseweyaada'e vai s/he skates out of view around something

awasi- pv lex beyond; on the other side

awasi-baawitig adv loc on the other side of the rapids

awasi-biboonong adv tmp wnter before last

See also: awas-biboonong adv tmp [ML]

awasi-dagwaagong adv tmp [RL] fall before last, autumn before last

See also: awas-dagwaagong adv tmp

awasi-dibikong adv tmp night before last

awasi-gakiiw adv loc over the portage to the next lake

awasi-minis adv loc on the other side of the island

awasi-niibinong adv tmp [RL] summer before last

See also: awas-niibinong adv tmp [ML]

awasi-zaaga'igan adv loc at or in another lake

awasi-ziigwanong adv tmp spring before last

See also: awas-ziigwanong adv tmp [ML]

awasigakiiw adv loc over the portage

awasigamig adv loc on the other side of the wall, in the next room or building

awasikana adv loc on the other side of the road or trail

awasinake adv loc [BL] on the other side

awasinaago adv tmp [BL] day before yesterday

awasisag adv loc in another room, on other side of a wall

awasishkode adv loc beyond the fire; on the other side of the fire, across the fire

awasonaago adv tmp day before yesterday

awaswaabang adv tmp day after tomorrow

awashime adv deg much more

awashtoyaa na a blacksmith

awashtoyaawigamig ni a blacksmith shop

awazo vai s/he warms h/ self at the fire

(derived noun) awazowin ni a heater
awazo' vta warm h/ up, get h/ warmed up

awazowin ni a heater

awazoo-gizhaabikizigan ni a heater, a wood stove for heating

awaazisii na a bullhead

[
Ictalurus spp.
]

awedi pron dem that over there (animate singular)

See also: a'awedi pron dem

awegodogwen pron dub I don't know what, I wonder what

See also: wegodogwen pron dub

awegonen pron inter what

See also: wegonen pron inter

awegonesh pron inter what

See also: wegonesh pron inter

awegwaagi adv man behold! lo and behold!

See also: wegwaagi adv man

awegwen pron dub I don't know who, I wonder who

See also: awegwen igo pron dub

awegwen igo pron dub whoever, anyone at all; whoever might it be

awenen pron inter who

aweneniiwinen what kind of a person! what should s/he be but ...; a rascal, a fool

See also: wegoneniiwinen pron dub

awenesh pron inter who; who then

aweniban pron pret s/he's gone!, s/he's missing!

See also: weniban adv man

awesiinh na a (wild) animal

awi- pv dir go somewhere to do something, go over there to...

See also: o- pv dir

awibaa vii it is calm, is windless

awi' vta let h/ have or use (it), lend (it) to h/

(detransitive) awi'iwe vai s/he lends, rents (it) to people; s/he lets people borrow (it)
awi'aazom vta ask h/ to lend (it); ask to borrow (it) from h/, borrow (it) from h/

awi'aazon vai + o s/he borrows, rents it or it (animate) for h/ self

awi'iwe vai s/he lends, rents (it) to people; s/he lets people borrow (it)

awiya pron indf somebody, someone, anybody, anyone

See also: gaawiin awiya pron indf ; gakina awiya pron indf

ayabi vai s/he stays at home; s/he sits around for while

ayadaawensi vai s/he buys a little bit here and there, does a little shopping

ayagaasininjii vai s/he has small hands

ayagaasizide vai s/he has tiny feet

ayagoozi vai s/he is perched up for a time

aya'aa pron psl I don't remember who; a being, a thing animate in gender

Paired with: aya'ii pron psl ; ayi'ii pron psl

(verb of possession) odaya'aami vai s/he has property, has dependents
aya'ii pron psl I don't remember what; a thing

See also: aya'aa pron psl ; ayi'ii pron psl

(derived noun) aya'iiwish ni old stuff; old clothes (verb of possession) odaya'iimi vai s/he has stuff, has property
aya'iiwish ni old clothes; old stuff

ayapagidamaadiwag vai

ayapakwe vai s/he keeps putting on a roof, keeps covering the lodge with bark

ayapatoo vai s/he runs to certain places

ayate vii it sits around for a while

ayaa vii
  1. it is (in a certain place)
  2. [with a lexical preverb] it is in a certain state or condition
  3. [with a preverb] it moves a certain way

Paired with: ayaa vai

ayaa vai
  1. s/he is (in a certain place)
  2. [with a lexical preverb] s/he is in a state or condition
  3. [with a preverb] s/he moves a certain way

Paired with: ayaa vii

ayaabe na an adult male deer or moose: a buck, a bull moose

ayaakwaawan vii they are each a certain length, a certain height, are so long, are so tall

ayaamagad vii

► ayaa vii

ayaan vti4 have it; own it

Paired with: ayaaw vta

ayaangodinong adv tmp occasionally; sometimes

ayaangwaami- pv lex as a warning; cautiously, protectively

ayaangwaamim vta warn, caution h/

ayaangwaamizi vai s/he is careful, is cautious

ayaaniginiwag vai they are a certain size or sizes, are so big

ayaanigokwaawan vii they are of a certain size or sizes, are so big

ayaanzigweshimowag vai they dance with necks together

ayaapii adv tmp every once in a while, every now and then

ayaapiichinaag adv tmp every once in a while, every now and then; here and there

ayaapiichizigwaa vii it (slab) is a certain thicknesss

ayaaw vta have h/; own h/

Paired with: ayaan vti4

ayekobani'o vai [BL] s/he is tired from exertion, is tired from moving h/ body too fast

ayekogaade vai s/he is tired in h/ leg

ayekogwayawe vai s/he is tired in h/ neck

ayeko' vta make h/ tired

ayekomanji'o vai s/he feels tired

See also: ayekwamanji'o vai

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.