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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

aanjibii'igaade vii it is rewritten, "they" rewrite it

aanjibii'ige vai s/he writes things over, rewrites things

aanjibiitooshkigane vai s/he puts on another pair of underwear, changes h/ underwear

aanjichigaade vii it is changed; it is made different

aanjichigaazo vai s/he is changed, made different (by someone); "they" change h/, make h/ different

aanjichige vai s/he remakes things, makes things over

aanjidaabaadan vti drag, pull it to a new place

aanjidaabaade vii it is pulled, pushed, or dragged to a new place (on something)

aanjidaabaane vai s/he changes cars, trades in a car

aanjigaabawi vai s/he changes place while standing

aanjige vai s/he makes a different house

aanjigiboodiyegwaazone vai s/he puts on another pair of pants, changes h/ pants

aanjigondaagane vai h/ voice changes

aanjigozi vai s/he moves to another place to live

aanjigwane vai s/he [bird] moults

aanjigwaadan vti sew it over, alter it (by sewing)

Paired with: aanjigwaazh vta

aanjigwaade vii it is sewn over

aanjigwaaso vai s/he sews over

aanjigwaashkoni vai s/he jumps or leaps from one place to another, takes another jump or leap; s/he hops

See also: aanjigwaashkwani vai

aanjigwaashkwani vai s/he jumps or leaps from one place to another, takes another jump or leap; s/he hops

See also: aanjigwaashkoni vai

aanjigwaazh vta sew it (animate) over

Paired with: aanjigwaadan vti

aanjigwaazo vai it (animate) is sewn over

Paired with: aanjigwaade vii

aanji' vta change h/, make h/ over

Paired with: aanjitoon vti2

aanjikwanaye vai s/he changes h/ (own) clothes

aanjinaagwad vii it changes appearance

aanjinikaadan vti change name of it

Paired with: aanjinikaazh vta

aanjinikaade vii its name is changed

Paired with: aanjinikaazo vai

aanjinikaazh vta change name of h/

Paired with: aanjinikaadan vti

aanjinikaazo vai h/ name is changed

Paired with: aanjinikaade vii

aanjininiiwe vai s/he has a new boyfriend or male partner

aanjise vai s/he changes

Paired with: aanjise vii

aanjise vii it changes

Paired with: aanjise vai

aanjisidoon vti2 change it in writing; put it in another place

Paired with: aanjishim vta

aanjisin vii it lies in new place; its wording is changed

Paired with: aanjishin vai

aanjishim vta put h/ in another place; reset h/

Paired with: aanjisidoon vti2

aanjishin vai s/he lies or sleeps in new place

Paired with: aanjisin vii

aanjitoon vti2 change it, make it over

Paired with: aanji' vta

(detransitive) aanjichige vai s/he remakes things, makes things over (verb of undergoing) aanjichigaade vii it is changed; it is made different (verb of undergoing) aanjichigaazo vai s/he is changed, made different (by someone); "they" change h/, make h/ different
aanjitwaa vai s/he changes h/ religion

aanjiwidoon vti2 carry, take it to a different place

Paired with: aanjiwizh vta

aanjiwizh vta carry, take h/ to a different place

Paired with: aanjiwidoon vti2

aanjiigin vta fold it (animate; sheet-like) over, refold it (animate; sheet-like); replace, change it (animate; sheet-like)

aano- pv tns [S] in vain; without result; in spite of

See also: aana- pv tns [N]

aanosaagan ni a raft

aanwaakoshin vai s/he gets locked out

aanwetam vai2 s/he doubts. doesn't believe

aanwetaw vta disagree with what h/ says; disbelieve h/; doubt h/; not believe h/

aanzanaamo vai s/he changes h/ breathing, sighs, changes pitch of h/ voice; s/he takes a deep breath

aanzikan vti change it (something on the foot or body)

Paired with: aanzikaw vta

aanzikaw vta change h/ (something on the foot or body)

Paired with: aanzikan vti

aanzikonaye vai s/he changes h/ (own) clothes

aanzikonaye' vta change h/ clothes

aanzinaago' vta change h/ appearance, transform h/

Paired with: aanzinaagotoon vti2

(reflexive) aanzinaago'idizo vai s/he changes h/ (own) appearance, transforms h/ self
aanzinaago'idizo vai s/he changes h/ (own) appearance, transforms h/ self

aanzinaagotoon vti2 change its appearance, transform it

Paired with: aanzinaago' vta

aanzinaagozi vai s/he looks changed

Paired with: aanzinaagwad vii

aanzinaagwad vii it looks changed

Paired with: aanzinaagozi vai

aanziyaan ni
  1. a man's apron, a breech cloth
  2. a diaper

aapidabi vai s/he just sits, sits and can't get up

(applicative) aapidabiitaw vta just sit with h/, sit with h/ and not leave
(detransitive) aapidabiitaage vai s/he just sits with someone, sits with someone and doesn't get up or leave
aapidabiitaw vta just sit with h/, sit with h/ and not leave

aapidabiitaage vai s/he just sits with someone, sits with someone and doesn't get up or leave

aapidademo vai s/he cries without stopping

aapidaganaam vta hit h/ with serious effect, hit h/ and finish h/ off

aapidagoozi vai s/he is perched up above and can't get down

aapida'oode vii it is permanently tangled, tied up in knots for good

Paired with: aapida'oozo vai

aapida'oodoon vti2 tie it up in knots for good

Paired with: aapida'oozh vta

aapida'oozh vta tie h/ up in knots for good

Paired with: aapida'oodoon vti2

aapida'oozo vai s/he is permanently tangled, tied up in knots for good

Paired with: aapida'oode vii

aapidanaamo vai s/he is unable to recover h/ breath

aapidanaamose vai s/he has whooping cough

aapidapide vii it is tied securely, tied for good

Paired with: aapidapizo vai

aapidapidoon vti2 tie it securely, tie it for good

Paired with: aapidapizh vta

aapidapizh vta tie h/ securely, tie h/ for good

Paired with: aapidapidoon vti2

aapidapizo vai s/he or it (animate) is tied securely, tied for good

Paired with: aapidapide vii

aapidaakizige vai s/he can't quit drinking

aapidaandawe vai s/he climbs and gets stuck

aapidek adv disc what the heck!, what the hell!, my goodness! [an expression of disbelief, amazement, or disapproval]

See also: aapidekamig pc disc

aapidekamig pc disc what the heck!, what the hell!, my goodness! [an expression of disbelief, amazement, or disapproval]

See also: aapidek adv disc

aapidendi vai s/he goes and doesn't return, is gone for good

aapidingwaam vai [S] s/he sleeps and doesn't wake up, dies in h/ sleep

See also: aapidingwaami vai [N]

aapidingwaami vai [N] s/he sleeps and doesn't wake up, dies in h/ sleep

See also: aapidingwaam vai [S]

aapiji adv deg very, quite

See also: gaawiin aapiji adv deg

aapiji-wiidige vai s/he is legally married

aapiji-wiidige-mazina'igan ni a marriage license

aapiji-wiidigendiwin ni a marriage; a wedding

aapijibatoo vai s/he runs away for good

aapijibide vii it drives, runs, operates without stopping

Paired with: aapijibizo vai

aapijibizo vai s/he drives, runs, operates without stopping

Paired with: aapijibide vii

aapijigise vii it goes into wood and sticks

aapijinazh vta finish h/ off, finally and completely kill h/

aapijinizhimo vai s/he flees for good

aapijise vii it slips in, goes into something and not reappear

aapijiskwagizi vai s/he bleeds without stopping

aapijishin vai s/he has a serious fall or accident, has a fatal fall or accident

aapizikaw vta knock h/ out by hitting or bumping

aas ni a legging

aasamadaaki adv loc on this side of hill

aasama'ogo vai s/he has the wind blow directly at h/ or h/ place = the wind blows directly at h/ or h/ place

aasamajiw adv loc on the side of a hill, on the hill

aasamayi'ii adv loc facing something

aasamaabik adv loc on the rock cut, on the rock face

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.