Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

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 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

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
beshibii'igaade vii it is marked with a line or stripe (by someone), "they" mark it with a line or stripe

beshibii'igaazo vai h/ is marked with a line or stripe (by someone), "they" mark it with a line or stripe

beshibii'ige vai s/he marks things with a line or stripe

beshibii'wi vta [NI] mark h/ or it (animate) with a stripe

Paired with: beshibii'an vti

beshidaamikaneshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ chin or jaw

beshidooneshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ mouth

beshigaadeshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ leg

beshigwaadan vti sew a border on it

Paired with: beshigwaazh vta

beshigwaajigan ni border or trim sewn on something

beshigwaazh vta sew a border on it (animate)

Paired with: beshigwaadan vti

beshinikeshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ arm

beshininjiishin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ hand

beshizh vta make a cut or slit on h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: beshizhan vti See also: beshizhwi vta [NI]

beshizhan vti make a cut or slit on it

Paired with: beshizh vta ; beshizhwi vta [NI]

beshizi vai s/he has a line, has a stripe

Paired with: beshaa vii

beshizideshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ foot

beshizhwi vta [NI] make a cut or slit on h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: beshizhan vti See also: beshizh vta

beshiigad vii it (sheet-like) has a stripe, has a line

Paired with: beshiigizi vai

beshiigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) has a stripe, has a line

Paired with: beshiigad vii

beshiingweshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ face

beshk na [BL] a nighthawk

[
common nighthawk
; 
Chordeiles minor
]

See also: beshkwe na

beshkwe na a nighthawk

[
common nighthawk
; 
Chordeiles minor
]

See also: beshk na [BL]

besho adv loc near, nearby, close

besho- pv lex close, near; short [of a season]

besho-biboon vii it is a short winter

besho-giizhigad vii it is a short day; there are short days

beshonaagozi vai s/he appears to be close

Paired with: beshonaagwad vii

beshonaagwad vii it appears to be close

Paired with: beshonaagozi vai

beshotan vti be in close hearing of it, hear it coming closer

Paired with: beshotaw vta

beshotaw vta be in close hearing of h/, hear h/ coming closer

Paired with: beshotan vti

beshowad vii it is near, is nearby, is close

beshwaji' vta be close friends with h/

beshwaabam vta see h/ nearby, be in close view of h/, catch sight of h/

Paired with: beshwaabandan vti

beshwaabandan vti see it nearby, be in close view of it, catch sight of it

Paired with: beshwaabam vta

beshwendan vti think it to be near or soon

Paired with: beshwenim vta

beshwendaagozi vai s/he is thought near

Paired with: beshwendaagwad vii

beshwendaagwad vii it is thought near

Paired with: beshwendaagozi vai

beshwenim vta think h/ to be near or near soon

Paired with: beshwendan vti

beshwewidam vai2 s/he is heard making sound nearby

bezhig qnt num
  1. one
  2. a certain one

bezhigo vai s/he is alone, is one, is the only one

bezhigo- pv qnt one

bezhigo-diba'iganeyaa vii [BL] it is one o'clock

bezhigo-dibaabiishkoojiganezi vai s/he or it (animate) weighs one pound

bezhigokawe vai

bezhigozigwam qnt num one block of ice

bezhigoobi vai one sits, is at home

bezhigoobii'igan na an ace

bezhigoogaabawi vai one (animate) stands; s/he stands alone

bezhigooge vai s/he lives alone

bezhigookam vai2 s/he is alone in a canoe

bezhigookan vti work on something alone

Paired with: bezhigookaw vta

bezhigookaw vta fight h/ alone; work on h/ alone

Paired with: bezhigookan vti

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.