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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

bimwaagone'igaagen vai + o use (it) to hit someone with snow

bimwaagone'iwe vai s/he hits people with snow, throws snow at people

bimweshkidiwin ni

bimweweba'idiwag vai they are heard running along together

bimwewebatoo vai s/he is heard running along

bimwewebide vii it is heard speeding, driving along

Paired with: bimwewebizo vai

bimwewebizo vai s/he is heard speeding, driving along

Paired with: bimwewebide vii

bimwewebiisaa vii [MN] rain is heard going along

See also: bimwewebiisaan vii [BL]

bimwewebiisaan vii [BL] rain is heard going along

See also: bimwewebiisaa vii [MN]

bimwewedaawangibatoo vai s/he is heard running along on sand

bimwewedaawangishin vai s/he is heard stepping along on sand

bimwewedaawangose vai s/he is heard walking along on sand

bimwewegamakwazhiwe vai s/he is heard paddling along

bimwewekamigishin vai s/he is heard stepping along on the ground

bimwewekamigose vai s/he is heard walking along on the ground

bimwewenaamo vai s/he is heard going along breathing hard

bimwewesagibatoo vai s/he is heard running by on the floor

bimweweshin vai s/he is heard walking along

bimwewetoo vai s/he goes by talking or making noise

bimweweyaabikibide vai it speeds by on the tracks

bimweweyaadagaa vai h/ is heard swimming along

See also: bimweweyaadage vai [BL]

bimweweyaadagaako vai s/he is heard going along on the ice

bimweweyaadagaazii vai s/he is heard wading along

bimweweyaadage vai [BL] h/ is heard swimming along

See also: bimweweyaadagaa vai

bimweweyaagonebatoo vai s/he is heard running along in snow

bimweweyaagonewose vai s/he is heard walking along in snow

bimweweyaandawe vai s/he is heard climbing along

bimweweyaanimad vii the wind is heard blowing, heard going along

bimweweyaashi vai s/he is heard flying, soaring, sailing by

bimwewidam vai2 s/he goes by sounding (esp. of Thunderers)

bimwi vta [NI] shoot or hit h/ with an arrow or other projectile

See also: bimo vta [MN]

binadowe vai s/he loses fur, sheds

bina' vta take h/ or it (animate) down

Paired with: bina'an vti See also: bina'wi vta [NI]

bina'amaw vta take (it) down for h/

bina'an vti take it down

Paired with: bina' vta

(benefactive) bina'amaw vta take (it) down for h/ (detransitive) bina'ige vai s/he takes things down (verb of undergoing) bina'igaade vii it is taken down (by someone), "they" take it down (verb of undergoing) bina'igaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is taken down (by someone), "they" take h/ or it (animate) down
bina'igaade vii it is taken down (by someone), "they" take it down

bina'igaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is taken down (by someone), "they" take h/ or it (animate) down

bina'ige vai s/he takes things down

bina'wi vta [NI] take h/ or it (animate) down

► bina' vta

binakwii-giizis na October

binangwapide vii it is tied loosely

Paired with: binangwapizo vai

binangwapidoon vti2 tie it loosely

Paired with: binangwapizh vta

binangwapizh vta tie h/ loosely

Paired with: binangwapidoon vti2

binangwapizo vai s/he is tied loosely

Paired with: binangwapide vii

binangwaabiigad vii it (string-like) is slack

See also: banangwaabiigad vii [BL]

binaabaawe vai it (animate) is pushed or dragged down by the rain or a flood

Paired with: binaabaawe vii

binaabaawe vii it is pushed or dragged down by the rain or a flood

Paired with: binaabaawe vai

binaabide vai h/ tooth falls out, teeth fall out; s/he loses a tooth or teeth

binaabigwanii vii its flower falls

binaabigwaniiyaasin vii its flower blows down

binaabigwaniiyaashi vai its (animate) flower blows down

binaagone vai it (animate) is pushed down or caved in by the snow

Paired with: binaagone vii

binaagone vii it is pushed down or caved in by the snow

Paired with: binaagone vai

binaagone'an vti get snow down off it (using something)

binaagonese vai it (animate) has snow falling off it

binaagoneyaasin vii it has snow blowing down off it

binaagoneyaashi vai s/he, it (animate) has snow blown down off h/, it

binaakwaan ni a comb

binaakwaanibijigan ni [BL] a rake

binaakwe-giizis na October

binaakwe' vta comb h/

(reflexive) binaakwe'odizo vai s/he combs h/ (own) hair
binaakwe'an vti comb, rake it

(detransitive) binaakwe'ige vai s/he rakes things (derived noun) binaakwe'igan ni a rake
binaakwe'igan ni a rake

binaakwe'ige vai s/he rakes things

binaakwe'o vai s/he combs h/ (own) hair

binaakwe'odizo vai s/he combs h/ (own) hair

binaakwe'wi vta

► binaakwe' vta

binaakwii vii it has its leaves fall

binaakwii vai it (a tree) has its leaves fall

binaakwii-giizis na October

binaakwiiwi-giizis na [BL] October

binaandawe vai s/he comes down from climbing something

binaandawese vai s/he slips and falls down climbing on something or crossing a bridge

binaanikwe vai h/ hair falls out; h/ loses some hair

binaasin vii it is blown down off something (by the wind)

Paired with: binaashi vai

binaashi vai s/he is blown down off something

Paired with: binaasin vii

binda'am vai2 s/he is caught in the net

bine na a partridge; a ruffled grouse

[
ruffed grouse
; 
Bonasa umbellus
]

See also: goshkongesi na

bine-baashkizigan ni [NI] a 410 gauge shotgun

binesi na
  1. a bird of a large species; a raptor (a hawk or eagle)
  2. a thunderbird

binesiwi-miikana ni the Milky Way

bineshiinh na a bird

bineshiinhwayaan na a bird skin

bineshiinhwi-waakaa'iganens ni

bineshiinhwigamigoons ni a small bird house

binewi-wiiyaas ni partidge meat

binewidis ni a grouse (partridge) crop

binewigwan na a partridge feather

bingoshens na [S] a gnat

bingwa' vta throw sand or ashes at h/

bingwa'an vti throw sand or ashes at it

Paired with: bingwa' vta

bingwa'wi vta

► bingwa' vta

bingwaashaagidi vai [BL] s/he is naked

bingwaashaagidoongwaamo vai [NI] s/he sleeps naked

bingwi ni ashes; sand

(verb of abundance) bingwiikaa vii there is (a lot of) sand, is (a lot of) ashes
bingwii-miikana ni a gravel road

bingwiikaa vii there is (a lot of) sand, is (a lot of) ashes

bingwiiwakamigaa vii [ML] it is sandy ground

bingwiiwan vii it has sand or ashes on it

Paired with: bingwiiwi vai

bingwiiwaamikaa vii there is a sandy bottom

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.