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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

amikwiishike vai s/he makes a beaver lodge

amo vta eat h/

Paired with: miijin vti3 See also: amwi vta

amojiishkiwaan ni a deer lick: a place where deer eat mud

amwaagone vai s/he eats snow

amwi vta eat h/

See also: amo vta

ana'o vai s/he chokes on something stuck in h/ throat

anama'e- pv lex church, Christian

anama'e-giizhigad vii it is Sunday

anama'e-giizhik adv num week

► daso-anama'e-giizhik qnt num

anama'e-giizhikwagad vii

► daso-anama'e-giizhikwagad vii

anama'e-mazina'igan ni a prayer book

anama'e-nagamon ni a hymn

anama'e-zhinawa'oojigan ni [NI] a church bell

anama'ekwe na a nun

anama'eminensag na prayer beads: a rosary

anama'etaw vta pray for h/

anama'ewigamig ni a church

anama'ewikwe na a nun

anami'aa vai s/he prays, is a Christian

anami'aawin ni prayer, religion, the church
anami'aawin ni prayer, religion, the church

anamikaw vta
  1. greet h/
  2. honor h/ publically

(detransitive) anamikaage vai s/he greets people (reciprocal) anamikodaadiwag vai they greet each other
anamikaage vai s/he greets people

anamikodaadiwag vai they greet each other

anang na a star

(verb of abundance) anangokaa vii there are (many) stars
anangokaa vii there are (many) stars

anaakan ni a woven mat, a rug

anaakanike vai s/he makes mats
anaakanashk ni a reed, a rush

anaakanike vai s/he makes mats

anaamadaawang adv loc under the sand

anaamakamig adv loc under the ground

anaamaki adv loc underground

anaamanagek adv loc under the bark

anaamaya'ii adv loc [N] under it

See also: anaamayi'ii adv loc [S]

anaamayi'ii adv loc [S] under it

See also: anaamaya'ii adv loc [N]

anaamaabik adv loc under a rock

anaamaagon adv loc under the snow

anaamaagonag adv loc under the snow

anaamaandag adv loc under the bough

anaamaatig adv loc under wood (e.g., a fallen tree or a stick)

anaamendam vai2 s/he is suspicious, suspects, has suspicion

anaamendan vti be suspicious of, suspect it

Paired with: anaamenim vta

anaamenim vta suspect, blame h/

Paired with: anaamendan vti

(reciprocal) anaamenindiwag vai they suspect, blame each other
anaamenindiwag vai they suspect, blame each other

anaami- pv lex under

anaami-adoopowin adv loc under the table

anaami-gizhaabikizigan adv loc under the stove

anaami-jiimaan adv loc under a boat or canoe

anaami-nabagisag adv loc under a board or boards

anaami-nibaagan adv loc under the bed

anaamibiig adv loc underwater

anaamidaabaan adv loc under the car

See also: anaamidaabaaning adv loc

anaamidaabaanaak adv loc under a sled

anaamidaabaaning adv loc under the car

See also: anaamidaabaan adv loc

anaamidoopowinaak adv loc [BL] under the table

anaamikwam adv loc under the ice

anaamim vta blame h/ (in speech), accuse h/

(reflexive) anaamindizo vai s/he blames, accuses h/ self (reciprocal) anaamindiwag vai they blame, accuse each other (detransitive) anaaminge vai s/he blames, accuses people
anaamindiwag vai they blame, accuse each other

anaamindizo vai s/he blames, accuses h/ self

anaaminge vai s/he blames, accuses people

anaamisag adv loc under the floor, in the basement

anaamisagadoweshiinh na a wren

anaamisagong adv loc under the floor, in the basement

anaamiskwam adv loc under the ice

anaamizigwam adv loc under the ice

anaamiindim adv loc in the depths of a body of water; deep underwater

anaamoonag adv loc under a boat or canoe

andabineshiinyiwe vai s/he looks for birds

andawadabii vai s/he looks for tree runners

andawagoodoo vai s/he goes and sets snares

andawamikwe vai s/he hunts beaver, traps beaver

andawanii'ige vai s/he goes trapping

andawanokii vai [C] [N] s/he looks for work, looks for a job

See also: nandawanokii vai [S]

andawasimwe vai s/he looks for horses

See also: nandawasimwe vai [S]

andawataage vai s/he goes to gamble

andawawinzo vai s/he goes to look for berries to pick

andawaabam vta [N] look for, search for h/ or it (animate); go find, go get, go pick up, or go retrieve h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: andawaabandan vti See also: nandawaabam vta [S]

andawaabandan vti look for, search for it; go find, go get, go pick up, or go retrieve h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: andawaabam vta [N] See also: nandawaabandan vti

(detransitive) andawaabanjige vai s/he looks for, searches for things
andawaabanjige vai s/he looks for, searches for things

See also: nandawaabanjige vai

andawaabi vai [N] s/he looks around (for something)

Paired with: nandawaabi vai [S]

andawaaboozwe vai [N] s/he hunts for rabbits

See also: nandawaaboozwe vai [S]

andawendam vai2 [N] s/he needs, wants something, wishes for something

See also: nandawendam vai2 [S]

andawendan vti [C] [N] need, want it

Paired with: andawenim vta [N] See also: nandawendan vti [S]

(detransitive) andawenjige vai [N]
  1. s/he needs, wants things
  2. s/he hunts or fishes for food
andawendaagozi vai s/he is needed, is wanted, is wished for, is in demand

Paired with: andawendaagwad vii

andawendaagwad vii it is needed, is wanted, is wished for, is in demand

Paired with: andawendaagozi vai

andawenim vta [N] hunt it (animate); need, want h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: andawendan vti [C] [N] See also: nandawenim vta [S] [S]

andawenjige vai [N]
  1. s/he needs, wants things
  2. s/he hunts or fishes for food

See also: nandawenjige vai

andawenjigewin ni seeking game: hunting, snaring, etc.

andawiginiiwe vai

andawinise vai [N] s/he goes look for firewood

andawishibe vai s/he hunts ducks

See also: nandawishibe vai

ando- pv lex go over to a place

andoba' vta run and look for h/

andobani vai [N] s/he goes to war

See also: nandobani vai

andobidoon vti2 reach for, feel for it

Paired with: andobizh vta

(detransitive) andobijige vai s/he reaches for, feels for something
andobigiwe vai s/he looks for pitch

andobijige vai s/he reaches for, feels for something

andobinewe vai s/he goes partridge hunting

andobizh vta reach for, feel for h/

Paired with: andobidoon vti2

andodamaw vta ask h/ for (it); beg h/ for (it)

See also: nandodamaw vta [ML]

(detransitive) andodamaage vai [N] s/he asks people, begs people for things
(verb of addiction) andodamaageshki vai [N] s/he is a beggar
andodamaage vai [N] s/he asks people, begs people for things

See also: nandodamaage 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.

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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.