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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

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

bimadewe vai s/he goes, walks along on the snow crust

bimadinaa vii there is a ridge or range of hills or mountains extending along

bima'adoo vai s/he follows a trail along, walks along a trail

bima'adoobatoo vai s/he runs along a trail, is out for a run, is jogging

bima'adoon vti2 follow it along as a trail

Paired with: bima'azh vta

(detransitive) bima'ajige vai s/he follows something along as a trail
bima'ajige vai s/he follows something along as a trail

bima'amaazo vai s/he goes along singing

bima'an vti skim it

(detransitive) bima'ige vai s/he skims things
bima'azh vta track h/ along, follow h/ trail along

Paired with: bima'adoon vti2

bima'ige vai s/he skims things

bima'oodoo vai s/he poles a boat along

bima'oodoon vti2 pole it along in a boat; take it along in a boat

Paired with: bima'oozh vta

(detransitive) bima'oojige vai [BL] s/he takes (things) along in the water; s/he trolls; s/he guides fishermen
bima'oojige vai [BL] s/he guides fishermen; s/he takes (things) along in the water; s/he trolls

bima'ookii vai s/he poles a boat along

bima'oozh vta pole h/ along in a boat; take h/ along in a boat

Paired with: bima'oodoon vti2

bimakii'ige vai [S] s/he poles a boat along

See also: bimakii'o vai [BL]

bimakii'o vai [BL] s/he poles a boat along

See also: bimakii'ige vai [S]

bimakwazhiwe vai
  1. s/he paddles along, goes along by boat
  2. s/he swims along (as a fish)

bimamon vii it (road or trail) leads along

bimanaandam vai2 s/he goes along hungry

bimaabate vii it (smoke) goes along

bimaabaagwe vai s/he goes along, goes by thirsty

bimaabiigad vii it (string-like) extends along, is strung out

Paired with: bimaabiigizi vai

bimaabiigamon vii it leads along (as something string-like)

bimaabiigin vta string h/ along

Paired with: bimaabiiginan vti

bimaabiiginan vti string it along

Paired with: bimaabiigin vta

bimaabiigisin vii it (string-like) lies extended along

Paired with: bimaabiigishin vai

bimaabiigishin vai it (animate; string-like) lies extended along

Paired with: bimaabiigisin vii

bimaabiigizi vai it (animate; string-like) extends along, is strung out

Paired with: bimaabiigad vii

bimaabogo vai s/he floats or drifts along with the current

bimaaboode vii it drifts along on the current

Paired with: bimaaboozo vai

bimaaboono vai s/he goes along carried on the rapids or another moving medium (snow, sand, etc.)

bimaaboozo vai s/he or it (animate) drifts along on the current

Paired with: bimaaboode vii

bimaadad vii it is alive, is living

Paired with: bimaadizi vai

bimaadaga'oodoon vti2 pull, tow it along through the water

Paired with: bimaadaga'oozh vti2

(detransitive) bimaadaga'oojige vai s/he pulls, tows things through the water
bimaadaga'oojige vai s/he pulls, tows things through the water

bimaadaga'oozh vti2 pull, tow h/ along through the water

Paired with: bimaadaga'oodoon vti2

bimaadagaa vai s/he swims along

See also: bimaadage vai [BL]

bimaadagaako vai s/he goes along on the ice

bimaadagaakoba'iwe vai s/he runs along on the ice in flight from someone

bimaadagaakobatoo vai s/he runs along on the ice

bimaadagaazii vai s/he wades along

bimaadagaaziibatoo vai s/he runs along wading in the water

bimaadage vai [BL] s/he swims along

See also: bimaadagaa vai

bimaada'e vai s/he skates along

bimaadizi vai s/he lives, is alive

Paired with: bimaadad vii

(derived noun) bimaadiziwin ni life bimaadiziimagad vii it is alive, is living
bimaadiziwin ni life

bimaadiziimagad vii it is alive, is living

bimaagime vai [S] s/he snowshoes along or by, goes snowshoeing

bimaagimose vai [BL] s/he snowshoes along or by, goes snowshoeing

bimaagiwebishkigan na [BL] a bicycle

bimaagiwebishkige vai [BL] s/he bicycles along, rides along on a bicycle

bimaagonagii vai s/he goes along in snow

bimaagone vai s/he goes along in the snow

bimaagoneba'iwe vai

bimaagonebizo vai s/he drives by or along in the snow

bimaagonekawe vai s/he goes along leaving a trail in the snow

bimaagoneyose vai s/he walks along on the snow

bimaa'ago vai [BL] s/he drifts along on the waves

Paired with: bimaa'an vii See also: bimaa'ogo vai

bimaa'an vii it drifts along on the waves

Paired with: bimaa'ago vai [BL] ; bimaa'ogo vai

bimaa'ogo vai s/he drifts along on the waves

Paired with: bimaa'an vii See also: bimaa'ago vai [BL]

bimaaji' vta save h/ life, rescue h/

(detransitive) bimaaji'iwe vai s/he saves (people)
(derived noun) bimaaji'iwewin ni salvation
bimaaji'iwe vai s/he saves (people)

bimaaji'iwewin ni salvation

bimaakosidoon vti2 put it along (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: bimaakoshim vta

bimaakosin vii it lies along (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: bimaakoshin vai

bimaakoshim vta put h/ along (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: bimaakosidoon vti2

bimaakoshin vai s/he lies along (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: bimaakosin vii

bimaakwisin vii

bimaanagidoone [N] s/he goes along talking

bimaanakwad vii clouds go along

bimaandawaadan vti climb along on it

Paired with: bimaandawaazh vta

bimaandawaazh vta climb along on h/

Paired with: bimaandawaadan vti

bimaandawe vai s/he climbs along

(applicative) bimaandawaadan vti climb along on it (applicative) bimaandawaazh vta climb along on h/
bimaanimad vii the winds blows along

bimaanimizi vai s/he goes along in fear

bimaapi vai s/he goes by laughing

bimaasin vii it is blown along (by the wind); sails, soars along

Paired with: bimaashi vai

bimaashi vai s/he is blown along (by the wind); sails, soars along

Paired with: bimaasin vii

bimaashkaa vii waves go by

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.