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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

bibagiigad vii it (sheet-like) is thin

Paired with: bibagiigizi vai

bibagiigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is thin

Paired with: bibagiigad vii

bibigwan ni a flute

bibigwe vai s/he plays the flute

(derived noun) bibigwan ni a flute
bibine- pv lex powdered, finely granulated

bibine-bakwezhigan na flour

bibineyaa vii it is powdered, is a powder

bibinezi vai s/he; it (animate) is powdered, is a powder

biboon vii it is winter

biboon qnt num a year, a cycle of the seasons; a winter

► daso-biboon qnt num

biboonagad vii it is a winter, it (a year) passes

► daso-biboonagad vii

biboonagizi vai s/he is a number of years old

► daso-biboonagizi vai

biboonakizine vai s/he wears winter boots or moccasins

biboonazhigan ni a winter sock

bibooni-babiinzikawaagan ni a winter coat

bibooni-bagidaabaan ni a winter setline: a fishing line with multiple hooks set under the ice

bibooni-giizis na [BL] December

bibooni-makizin ni a winter moccasin or boot

bibooni-miikana ni a winter road

biboonishi vai s/he spends the winter somewhere

biboonodaabaan na a sleigh

biboonodaabaanens na a sled

biboonong adv tmp last winter

bichi- pv lex accidentally, by accident

bichibizo vai s/he is accidentally run over

bichibo vai s/he is poisoned

(derived noun) bichibowin ni poison (applicative) bichiboozh vta poison h/
(reflexive) bichiboonidizo vai s/he poisons h/ self
bichibowin ni poison

bichiboonidizo vai s/he poisons h/ self

bichiboozh vta poison h/

bichi' vta mistake h/ for someone else; take h/ by accident

bichinan vti shoot it accidentally

Paired with: bichinaw vta

bichinaw vta shoot h/ accidentally

Paired with: bichinan vti

(detransitive) bichinaage vai s/he shoots people accidentally (reflexive) bichinaadizo vai s/he shoots h/ self accidentally
bichinaadizo vai s/he shoots h/ self accidentally

bichinaage vai s/he shoots people accidentally

bida'am vai2 it (animate; a fish) is caught in the net

bida'anaa vai s/he catches something in h/ net

bidikobizo vai s/he drives making a rumbling sound

bidikowe vai s/he has a deep voice

bidikwe vii it has a deep rumbling sound; there is a boom

bidikwewe vai s/he or it (animate) makes a low rumbling sound, rumbles like thunder

bigishkada' vta pound, chop h/ to pieces (using a stick or a stick-like tool)

Paired with: bigishkada'an vti

bigishkada'an vti pound, chop it to pieces (using a stick or a stick-like tool)

Paired with: bigishkada' vta

bigishka' vta [MN] chop h/ or it (animate) up; crush h/ or it (animate) up (using something)

Paired with: bigishka'an vti See also: bigishka'wi vta [BL]

bigishka'an vti chop it up; crush it up (using something)

Paired with: bigishka' vta [MN] ; bigishka'wi vta [BL]

(verb of undergoing) bigishka'igaade vii it is chopped up, crushed up (by someone), "they" chop, crush it up (verb of undergoing) bigishka'igaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is chopped up, crushed up (by someone), "they" chop, crush h/ or it (animate) up
bigishka'igaade vii it is chopped up, crushed up (by someone), "they" chop, crush it up

bigishka'igaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is chopped up, crushed up (by someone), "they" chop, crush h/ or it (animate) up

bigishka'wi vta [BL] chop h/ or it (animate) up; crush h/ or it (animate) up (using something)

Paired with: bigishka'an vti See also: bigishka' vta [MN]

bigishkam vta chew it (animate) up

Paired with: bigishkandan vti

bigishkanad vii it is rotten, falls to pieces, decays

Paired with: bigishkanani vai

bigishkanani vai it (animate) is rotten, falls to pieces, decays

Paired with: bigishkanad vii

bigishkandamaw vta chew (it) up for h/

bigishkandan vti chew it up

Paired with: bigishkam vta

(benefactive) bigishkandamaw vta chew (it) up for h/
bigishkanimaagozi vai s/he smells rotten

Paired with: bigishkanimaagwad vii

bigishkanimaagwad vii it smells rotten

Paired with: bigishkanimaagozi vai

bigishkanimaam vta find it (animate) smells rotten

Paired with: bigishkanimaandan vti

bigishkanimaandan vti find it smells rotten

Paired with: bigishkanimaam vta

bigishkanimaasan vti cook or burn it spreading a rotten aroma

(detransitive) bigishkanimaasige vai s/he cooks or burns something spreading a rotten aroma
bigishkanimaasige vai s/he cooks or burns something spreading a rotten aroma

bigishkanimaaso vai it (animate) has a rotten aroma

Paired with: bigishkanimaate vii

bigishkanimaate vii it has a rotten aroma

Paired with: bigishkanimaaso vai

bigishkanipogozi vai s/he tastes rotten

Paired with: bigishkanipogwad vii

bigishkanipogwad vii it tastes rotten

Paired with: bigishkanipogozi vai

bigishkaajiwande vii it boils to pieces

Paired with: bigishkaajiwanzo vai

bigishkaajiwanzo vai it (animate) boils to pieces

Paired with: bigishkaajiwande vii

bigishki- pv lex in small pieces

bigishki-zhooniyaans na loose change

bigishkibidoon vti2 tear it to pieces, crush it up (with the hands)

Paired with: bigishkibizh vta

bigishkibizh vta tear it (animate) to pieces, crush it (animate) up (with the hands)

Paired with: bigishkibidoon vti2

bigishkibizo' vta

bigishkibizotoon vti2 crush it up into fine pieces using a motor

bigishkiboode vii it is ground up

Paired with: bigishkiboozo vai

bigishkiboode-wiiyaas ni ground meat, hamburger

Paired with: bigishkiboodewi-wiiyaas ni

bigishkiboodewi-wiiyaas ni ground meat, hamburger

Paired with: bigishkiboode-wiiyaas ni

bigishkiboodoon vti2 grind it up

Paired with: bigishkiboozh vta

bigishkiboozh vta grind it (animate) up

Paired with: bigishkiboodoon vti2

bigishkiboozo vai it (animate) is ground up

Paired with: bigishkiboode vii

bigishkiga' vta chop h/ or it (animate) up

Paired with: bigishkiga'an vti

bigishkiga'an vti chop it to pieces

Paired with: bigishkiga' vta

bigishkiga'ise vai s/he chops up firewood (for kitchen wood)

bigishkikoozh vta crush h/or it (animate) to pieces (with weight)

bigishkinan vti break it apart into pieces (by hand)

bigishkise vai it (animate) goes to pieces, breaks down

Paired with: bigishkise vii

bigishkise vii it goes to pieces, breaks down

Paired with: bigishkise vai

bigishkisidoon vti2 break it up against something

Paired with: bigishkishim vta

bigishkisin vii it breaks up against something

Paired with: bigishkishin vai

bigishkishim vta break it (animate) up against something

Paired with: bigishkisidoon vti2

bigishkishin vai it (animate) breaks up against something

Paired with: bigishkisin vii

bigishkiz vta cook h/ to pieces

Paired with: bigishkizan vti

bigishkizh vta cut it (animate) into small pieces, dice it (animate)

Paired with: bigishkizhan vti See also: bigishkizhwi vta [NI]

bigishkizhan vti cut it to pieces

Paired with: bigishkizh vta

(detransitive) bigishkizhige vai s/he cuts things to pieces (verb of undergoing) bigishkizhigaade vii it is cut to pieces (by someone), "they" cut it to pieces
bigishkizan vti cook it to pieces

Paired with: bigishkiz vta

bigishkizhigaade vii it is cut to pieces (by someone), "they" cut it to pieces

bigishkizhige vai s/he cuts things to pieces

bigishkizhwi vta [NI] cut it (animate) into small pieces, dice it (animate)

Paired with: bigishkizhan vti See also: bigishkizh vta

bigiw ni pitch, tar

(verb of making) bigiike vai s/he applies pitch, tar, or putty
(applicative) bigiikaadan vti apply pitch, tar or putty to it
(verb of undergoing) bigiikaajigaade vii it is tarred, pitched (by someone), "they" tar, pitch it
(verb of being) bigiiwan vii it has pitch, resin, or gum on it (verb of being) bigiiwi vai s/he has pitch, resin, or gum on h/
bigiwaakosag na a pitch tree

bigiwaandagozi vai it (animate) is pitchy, has sticky pitch

bigiwizigan ni maple taffy

bigiwizige vai s/he makes taffy

bigii- pv lex pitch, tar

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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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.