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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

bakwezhiganaabo ni soup with flour or dumplings

bakwezhiganaaboo ni gravy

bakwezhiganaabo ni soup with flour or dumplings bakwezhiganaaboons ni [BL] gravy (verb of making) bakwezhiganaabooke vai s/he makes dumpling soup
bakwezhiganaabooke vai s/he makes dumpling soup

bakwezhiganaaboons ni [BL] gravy

bakwezhiganens na [BL] a small bread product or pastry: a biscuit, a cookie, a cracker, a roll, a muffin

See also: bakwezhigaans na [MN]

bakwezhigani-makak ni a bread box; a flour box

bakwezhigani-ozaawaakizigan ni a toaster

bakwezhiganikaw vta make bannock for h/

bakwezhiganikaan na [BL] bannock

bakwezhiganike vai s/he makes bread, [N] makes bannock

bakwezhiganikewigamig ni a bakery

bakwezhiganikewikwe na a baker (female)

bakwezhiganikewin ni bannock-making, bread-making

bakwezhiganikewinaagan ni a bread-mixing bowl; a mixing bowl

bakwezhiganikewinini na a baker

bakwezhiganiwazh ni flour sack

bakwezhigaade vii it has a piece cut off it, "they" cut a piece off it

bakwezhigaans na [MN] a small bread product or pastry: a biscuit, a cookie, a cracker, a roll, a muffin

See also: bakwezhiganens na [BL]

bakwezhigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) has a piece cut off (by someone), "they" cut a piece off h/ or it (animate)

bakwezhige vai s/he cuts pieces off something

bakwezhwi vta [NI] cut or slice a piece off h/ or it (animate)

See also: bakwezh vta

bamendan vti care for it

Paired with: bamenim vta

bamenim vta care for h/

Paired with: bamendan vti

(reflexive) bamenindizo vai s/he takes care of h/ self, is self-reliant
bamenindizo vai s/he takes care of h/ self, is self-reliant

bami' vta take care of, look after, support, provide for, adopt h/

Paired with: bamitoon vti2

(reflexive) bami'idizo vai s/he takes care of h/ self, is self-reliant (detransitive) bami'iwe vai s/he takes care of people, is a care-giver bami'aagan na a dependent: someone taken care of, supported, or adopted; a pet
bami'aagan na a pet; a dependent: someone taken care of, supported, or adopted

bami'aagaans na a pet

bami'aawaso vai s/he takes care of a child or children

bami'idizo vai s/he takes care of h/ self, is self-reliant

bami'iwe vai s/he takes care of people, is a care-giver

bamitoon vti2 take care of, protect, keep it

Paired with: bami' vta

bamoonzhe vai

banaganaam vta miss hitting h/

Paired with: banaganaandan vti

banaganaandan vti miss hitting it

Paired with: banaganaam vta

banagwaazh vta miss snaring h/

banagwaazo vai s/he escapes being snared

bana' vta miss h/ (using something)

Paired with: bana'an vti

bana'am vai2 lose; s/he misses and loses, didn't win

bana'an vti miss it (using something)

Paired with: bana' vta

bana'e vai s/he misses the target

banajaanh na a baby bird, a nestling

banam vta bite or chew it (animate) and have it drop

banangonike vai s/he has a floppy arm or arms

banangwaabiigad vii [BL] it (string-like) is slack

See also: binangwaabiigad vii

banangwaabiigibide vii [BL] it (something string-like) gets loose in operation

bananjigan ni a food scrap dropped from the mouth; ort

bananjige vai s/he bites or chews something and has it drop

banaskobagaabaawe vii rain opens up the buds to new leaves or flowers

banaskoninjiin vta open up h/ hand or paw; straighten out h/ hand or paw

banaskoninjiini vai [BL] s/he straightens out h/ hand or paw; s/he opens up h/ hand or paw

banaskwaabiigibidoon vti2 straighten out the kinks in it (string-like)

banaskwiiwagitaa vai s/he stretches h/ muscles, exercises

banaskwiiwagitaawigamig ni a fitness center, a gym for working out

banaabam vta lose sight of h/ suddenly

Paired with: banaabandan vti

banaabandan vti lose sight of it suddenly

Paired with: banaabam vta

banaadad vii it is spoiled, is rotten, is ruined, is destroyed

Paired with: banaadizi vai See also: wanaadad vii [BL]

banaadaagamisin vii it (a liquid) spoils, is spoiled, is ruined

banaadendam vai2 s/he is discouraged, is in despair, thinks things hopeless

banaadendan vti be discouraged about it, be in despair about it, think it is hopeless

Paired with: banaadenim vta

banaadenim vta despair of h/; lose hope in h/

Paired with: banaadendan vti

banaadizi vai
  1. it (animate) is spoiled, is ruined
  2. s/he dies, is dead

Paired with: banaadad vii See also: wanaadizi vai [BL]

banaajibidoon vti2 spoil, ruin, damage it (with hands)

Paired with: banaajibizh vta

banaajibizh vta spoil, ruin, damage h/ (with hands)

Paired with: banaajibidoon vti2

banaajiboode vii it is ruined by being cut wrong with a saw

banaaji' vta spoil, ruin, damage h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: banaajitoon vti2

banaajisin vii it spoils, gets spoiled

Paired with: banaajishin vai See also: wanaajisin vii [BL]

banaajishin vai it (animate) spoils, gets spoiled

Paired with: banaajisin vii See also: wanaajishin [BL]

banaajitoon vti2 spoil, ruin, destroy it

Paired with: banaaji' vta

banaakwii vai s/he misses catching on to a branch or a railing

banaandawe vai s/he misses and falls climbing on something

bande vii it is singed

Paired with: banzo vai

bangakide vii it is a quiet house or lodge

bangan vii it is peaceful; it is quiet

bangate vii it is quiet, peaceful inside

bangibiisaa vii it is a cloudburst; the rain pours down

See also: bangibiisaan vii [BL]

bangibiisaan vii [BL] it is a cloudburst; the rain pours down

See also: bangibiisaa vii

bangibiisaanishi vai s/he gets caught in a rain shower

bangigaa vii it drips down

bangisaasin vii the wind makes it fall

bangisidaabii vai s/he drops h/ load, drops something from h/ load

bangisidaabiin vai + o drop it (a load), drop it from a load

bangisidoon vti2 drop it; let it fall

Paired with: bangishim vta

bangisin vii it falls

Paired with: bangishin vai

bangiskwe vai s/he is dripping blood

bangishim vta drop h/ or it (animate); let h/ or it (animate) fall

Paired with: bangisidoon vti2

bangishimo vai it (animate; the sun) sets

bangishimon vii it sets as the sun, is sunset

bangishin vai s/he or it (animate) falls

Paired with: bangisin vii

bangishipon vii snow comes down all of a sudden

bangitoo vai s/he gets quiet, quiets down

bangii adv qnt a little; a little bit; few

bangiishenh adv qnt a very little bit; just a little

bangiishenh adv deg a very little bit, just a little

bangiishenhwagad vii it is a very little bit; it is very few

Paired with: bangiishenhwagiziwag vai

bangiishenhwagiziwag vai they are very few, there are very few of them

Paired with: bangiishenhwagad vii

bangiiwagad vii
  1. there is a little bit of it
  2. plural) there are few of them

Paired with: bangiiwagizi vai

bangiiwagizi vai
  1. there is a little bit of h/
  2. (plural) there are few of them

Paired with: bangiiwagad vii

banikoodoon vti2 miss trapping it

Paired with: banikoozh vta

(detransitive) banikoojige vai s/he has h/ traps set off but left empty, miss catching something in a trap
banikoojige vai s/he has h/ traps set off but left empty, miss catching something in a trap

banikoozh vta miss h/ in a trap

Paired with: banikoodoon vti2

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.

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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.