Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

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

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

Paired with: bigishkizhan vti

bigishkiz vta cook h/ to pieces

Paired with: bigishkizan vti

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

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

bigiwizigan ni maple taffy

bigiwizige vai s/he makes taffy

bigii- pv lex pitch, tar

bigii-miikana ni an asphalt road

bigiikaadan vti apply pitch, tar or putty to it

bigiikaajigaade vii it is tarred, pitched (by someone), "they" tar, pitch it

bigiike vai s/he applies pitch, tar, or putty

bigiins na chewing gum

bigiiwan vii it has pitch, resin, or gum on it

Paired with: bigiiwi vai

bigiiwi vai s/he has pitch, resin, or gum on h/

Paired with: bigiiwan vii

bigoshens na [RL] a gnat

(verb of abundance) bigoshensikaa vii there are (many) gnats
bigoshensikaa vii there are (many) gnats

bigwadakamig adv loc [NI] in the wilderness

Paired with: bagwadakamig adv loc

bijiinag adv tmp after a while, eventually, finally; just now; recently

bijiinaago adv tmp yesterday

bikojii vai s/he is paunchy, is pot-bellied

bikokobaa vii it is a clump of brush

bikominagad vii it (something small and round) is round like a ball, is globular

bikominagijaane vai s/he has a bulbous nose

bikonagizhii vai s/he has a potbelly

bikosin vii it lies like a lump or bump

Paired with: bikoshin vai

bikoshin vai s/he lies like a bump or lump

Paired with: bikosin vii

bikoojaan ni a ball of twine or yarn

bikwadaawangaa vii it is sand dune or sand hill

bikwadinaa vii it is a knoll, is a hill

bikwak ni an arrow

(verb of making) bikwakoke vai s/he makes arrows (verb of possession) obikwako vai s/he has an arrow or arrows
bikwakamigaa vii there is a hump or mound in the ground

bikwakoke vai s/he makes arrows

bikwaabikadinaa vii there is a rocky hill or hills

bikwaabikaa vii it is a rocky mound or hill

bikwaabiigad vii it (string-like) has a knot, has a lump on it

bikwaabiigizi vai it (animate; string-like) has a knot, has a lump on it

Paired with: bikwaabiigad vii

bikwaagonebizotoon vti2 drive it making a snow pile

bikwaagone'an vti put it in a snow pile (using something)

Paired with: bikwaagone'wi vta

(detransitive) bikwaagone'ige vai s/he makes a snow pile (using something) (derived noun) bikwaagone'igan ni a snow pile
bikwaagone'igan ni a snow pile

bikwaagone'ige vai s/he makes a snow pile (using something)

bikwaagone'wi vta put it (animate) in a snow pile (using something)

Paired with: bikwaagone'an vti

bikwaakoganaan ni an ankle or wrist joint

bikwaakoninjiini vai s/he makes a fist

bikwaakwad ni a ball

bikwaakwada'oodoon vti2 wind it into ball

bikwaakwado-bagamaagan ni a ball-headed club

bikwaakwado-manoomin ni chubby short-grained wild rice

bikwaakwado-ziinzibaakwad ni [BL] a sugar cube

bikwaakwadominagad vii it (something small and round, grain, berry) is chubby

bikwaakwadosin vii it lies formed into a ball

Paired with: bikwaakwadoshin vai

bikwaakwadoshin vai s/he or it (animate) lies formed into a ball

Paired with: bikwaakwadosin vii

bikwaakwadotaa vai s/he rolls h/ self into a ball

bikwaakwadozi vai s/he is round (like a ball), is chubby

bikwaakwadoons ni [BL] a baseball

bikwaakwadoonsike vai [BL] s/he plays baseball

bikwaakwadwaagonagin vta make h/ (snow) into a snowball

bikwaawigan vai [ML] s/he is hunchback

bikwaawigane vai [N] s/he is a hunchback

See also: bikwaawigan vai [ML]

bikwegishin vii it lies in a hump as under a blanket or cover

bimadaawangose vai s/he walks along on sand

bimademo vai s/he goes along crying

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.