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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

bedaada'e vai s/he skates slow

bedaajiwanzwaanakik na a crock-pot, a slow cooker

bedaanimad vii there is a light wind, a slow wind

bedose vai s/he walks slowly

bedowe vai s/he has a soft voice

bedoode vai s/he crawls slowly

bedwewejiwan vii the flow of the water has a low sound

bejibatoo vai s/he runs slowly

bejibide vii it runs (as a machine), operates, drives slowly

Paired with: bejibizo vai

bejibizo vai s/he runs (as a machine) operates, drives slowly

Paired with: bejibide vii

bejidaabii'iwe vai s/he drives slow

bejigamide vii it is slow to boil

bejigaa vai it (animate) drips, leaks slowly; it (animate) runs slowly (as a tree, with sap)

Paired with: bejigaa vii

bejigaa vii it drips, leaks slowly

Paired with: bejigaa vai

bejigi vai s/he grows slowly

Paired with: bejigin vii

bejigin vii it grows slowly

Paired with: bejigi vai

bejijiwan vii it flows slowly

bejise vai s/he flies slow

bejishimo vai s/he dances slowly

bejitaa vai s/he goes slow doing something, works slow

bejitaagozi vai s/he has low and soft voice

bekaa pc interj hold on!; slow down!; wait!; stop!

bekaadizi vai s/he is quiet, is still, is well-behaved, is easy-going

bekish adv tmp at the same time

bekwaawigang na-v a camel

bemaadizid na-v a person, [pl] people

bemi- pv dir along; going along; going by; going past; on the way

► bimi- pv dir

bemisemagak ni-v [C] an airplane

bengibizotoon vti2 spin dry it

bengobagaa vii there are dry leaves

bengobide vii it spin dries

bengode vii it cooks dry

Paired with: bengozo vai

bengodenaniwe vai h/ tongue is dry

bengodoone vai s/he has a dry mouth

bengojiishkiwagad vii it (something mud-like) is dry

Paired with: bengojiishkiwagizi vai

bengojiishkiwagaa vii there is dry mud

bengojiishkiwagizi vai it (animate; mud-like) is dry

Paired with: bengojiishkiwagad vii

bengoninjii'o vai s/he drys h/ (own) hand or hands

bengopon vii there is dry snow falling

bengosidoon vti2 put it to dry

bengoshin vai s/he goes dry

bengoz vta dry h/ with heat

Paired with: bengozan vti

bengozan vti dry it with heat; heat reducing the liquid in it

Paired with: bengoz vta

bengozi vai s/he or it (animate) dries, is dry

Paired with: bengwan vii

bengozo vai s/he is cooked dry (without grease or water), is grilled

Paired with: bengode vii

bengwadaawangaa vii there is dry sand, is a dry beach

bengwadowezo vai its (animate) fur dries

bengwa' vta dry h/ (using something)

Paired with: bengwa'an vti

bengwa'an vti dry it (using something)

Paired with: bengwa' vta ; bengwa'wi vta [NI]

bengwa'wi vta [NI] dry h/ or it (animate) (using something)

Paired with: bengwa'an vti See also: bengwa' vta

bengwakamigaa vii it is dry ground

bengwan vii it is dry, dries

Paired with: bengozi vai

bengwanaamo vai s/he has dry breath

bengwashkaasin vii it (stalk, plant) dries in the wind

bengwashkisin vii it (stalk, plant) dries, dries up, gets dry

bengwashkiigaa vii it is a dry muskeg

bengwazhe vai s/he has dry skin

bengwaabi vai s/he has a dry eye or dry eyes

bengwaabika'an vti dry it (mineral or metal) (using something)

bengwaabikiz vta boil h/ dry

Paired with: bengwaabikizan vti

bengwaabikizan vti boil it dry

Paired with: bengwaabikiz vta

bengwaagonagaa vii there is dry snow

bengwaakozan vti

bengwaakozi vai it (animate; stick-like) is dry

Paired with: bengwaakwad vii

bengwaakwad vii it (stick-like) is dry

Paired with: bengwaakozi vai

bengwaandagaa vii the boughs are dry

bengwaandagizi vai it (animate; bough) is dry

bengwaanikwe vai s/he has dry hair

bengwaanikweyaashi vai s/he dries h/ hair in the wind, gets h/ hair dry in the wind

bengwaasidoon vti2 let it dry in the wind

bengwaasijigan ni a dryer

bengwaasijige vai

bengwaasin vii it blows dry

Paired with: bengwaashi vai

bengwaashi vai s/he blows dry

Paired with: bengwaasin vii

bengwegad vii it (sheet-like) is dry

Paired with: bengwegizi vai

bengwegide vii it (sheet-like) dries by heat or fire

Paired with: bengwegizo vai

bengwegizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is dry from heat or fire

Paired with: bengwegad vii

bengwegizo vai it (animate; sheet-like) dries by heat or fire

Paired with: bengwegide vii

bepeshaa vii it has stripes, lines

Paired with: bepeshizi vai

bepeshaanowe vai s/he (an animal) has stripes on h/ tail

bepeshaawigane vai s/he has stripes on h/ back

bepeshigwane vai s/he (a bird) has striped feathers

bepeshin vta tag h/

(reciprocal) bepeshinidiwag vai they play tag with each other
(derived noun) bepeshinidiwin ni game of tag
bepeshinidiwag vai they play tag with each other

bepeshinidiwin ni game of tag

bepeshiningwii vai s/he (a bird) has striped wings

bepeshizi vai s/he has stripes, lines

Paired with: bepeshaa vii

bepeshiigad vii it (sheet-like) has stripes

Paired with: bepeshiigizi vai

bepeshiigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) has stripes

Paired with: bepeshiigad vii

beshaa vii it has a line, has a stripe

Paired with: beshizi vai

beshaagone'an vti make a mark on it in the snow

(detransitive) beshaagone'ige vai s/he marks a mark in the snow at something (verb of undergoing) beshaagone'igaade vii there is a line marked in the snow (by someone)
beshaagone'igaade vii there is a line marked in the snow (by someone)

beshaagone'ige vai s/he marks a mark in the snow at something

beshaakwanashkidii vai s/he (a bird) has a striped tail

beshaanowe vai s/he has a stripe on h/ tail

beshaawigane vai [N] s/he has a stripe on h/ back

beshaawiganezh vta cut h/ on h/ back

beshaawiganezhwi vta [BL]

► beshaawiganezh vta

beshibii'amaw vta mark (it) with a line or stripe for h/

beshibii'an vti mark it with a line or stripe

Paired with: beshibii'wi vta [NI]

(benefactive) beshibii'amaw vta mark (it) with a line or stripe for h/ (detransitive) beshibii'ige vai s/he marks things with a line or stripe (verb of undergoing) beshibii'igaade vii it is marked with a line or stripe (by someone), "they" mark it with a line or stripe (verb of undergoing) beshibii'igaazo vai h/ is marked with a line or stripe (by someone), "they" mark it with a line or stripe

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.