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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

biichi-biboon vii it is a long winter

biichi-dagwaagin vii it is a long fall

biichi-dibikad vii it is a long night

biichi-giizhigad vii it is a long day

biichi-niibin vii it is a long summer

biichi-ziigwan vii it is a long spring

biichibabagiwayaane vai s/he puts on h/ shirt

biichibabiinzikawaagane vai s/he puts on h/ coat or jacket

See also: biichibiinzikawaagane vai [BL]

biichibagiwayaane vai [LLC] s/he puts on h/ shirt

See also: biichibabagiwayaane vai

biichibiinzikawaagane vai [BL] s/he puts on h/ coat or jacket

See also: biichibabiinzikawaagane vai

biichibiitooshkigane vai s/he puts on underwear

biichidaase vai [BL] s/he puts on h/ pants

biichigiboodiyegwaazone vai s/he puts on h/ pants

biichigoodaase vai she puts on a dress

biichikonaye vai [BL] s/he dresses, puts h/ clothes on

(causative) biichikonaye' vta [BL] dress h/, get h/ dressed, get h/ clothes on h/
(reflexive) biichikonaye'idizo vai s/he dresses h/ self, gets h/ self dressed
biichikonaye' vta [BL] dress h/, get h/ dressed, get h/ clothes on h/

biichikonaye'idizo vai s/he dresses h/ self, gets h/ self dressed

biichiminjikaawane vai s/he puts on h/ mittens

biichiwakwaane vai s/he puts on h/ hat

biichiwiiwakwaane vai [BL] s/he puts on h/ hat

biidadaawangose vai s/he walks here on sand

biidademo vai s/he comes crying

biidadewe vai s/he comes, walks here on the snow crust

biida'adoo vai s/he follows a trail here

biida'adoon vti2 follow it as a trail here

Paired with: biida'azh vta

biida'amaazo vai s/he comes singing

biida'azh vta follow h/ trail here

Paired with: biida'adoon vti2

biida'oodoo vai s/he paddles here

biida'oodoon vti2 bring it here by boat

Paired with: biida'oozh vta

biida'oozh vta bring h/ or it (animate) here by boat

Paired with: biida'oodoon vti2

biidakii'ige vai [S] s/he poles a boat here

See also: biidakii'o vai [BL]

biidakii'o vai [BL] s/he poles a boat here

See also: biidakii'ige vai [S]

biidakwazhiwe vai
  1. s/he paddles here
  2. s/he swims here (as a fish)

biidamaw vta bring something for h/

See also: biidaw vta

biidamaage vai s/he brings (it) for (people)

biidanaamo vai s/he takes h/ first breath

biidanaandam vai2 s/he comes hungry

biidanoozo vai s/he comes smoking tobacco

biidaw vta bring (it) for h/

See also: biidamaw vta

biidaaban vii dawn comes; it is daybreak

biidaabaso vai s/he smells the aroma

biidaabate vii it (smoke) comes here

biidaabogo vai s/he floats or drifts here with the current

biidaaboode vii it drifts here on the current

Paired with: biidaaboozo vai

biidaaboono vai s/he comes carried on the rapids or another moving medium (snow, sand, etc.)

biidaaboozo vai s/he drifts here on the current

Paired with: biidaaboode vii

biidaadaga'oodoon vti2 pull, tow it here through the water

biidaadagaa vai s/he swims here

See also: biidaadage vai [BL]

biidaadagaako vai s/he lands coming off the ice

biidaadagaakobatoo vai s/he runs here on the ice

biidaadagaazii vai s/he wades here

biidaadage vai [BL] s/he swims here

See also: biidaadagaa vai

biidaada'e vai s/he skates here

biidaadodan vti come and tell of it; bring the news about it

Paired with: biidaajim vta

(verb of undergoing) biidaadojigaade vii the news of it is brought (by someone), "they" bring the news of it; it is forecasted (by someone), "they" forecast it
biidaadojigaade vii the news of it is brought (by someone), "they" bring the news of it; it is forecasted (by someone), "they" forecast it

biidaagime vai [S] s/he snowshoes here, comes snowshoeing

biidaagimose vai [BL] s/he snowshoes here, comes snowshoeing

biidaaginan vti bend it here, this way

biidaagiwebishkige vai [BL] s/he bicycles here, rides here on a bicycle

biidaagonagii vai s/he comes in snow

biidaagone vai s/he comes here through the snow

biidaagonekawe vai

biidaa'ago vai s/he drifts here on the waves

Paired with: biidaa'an vii

biidaa'ago vai s/he drifts here on the waves

Paired with: biidaa'an vii

biidaa'an vii it drifts here on the waves

Paired with: biidaa'ago vai

biidaa'ogo vai s/he drifts here on the waves

Paired with: biidaa'an vii See also: biidaa'ago vai

biidaajim vta come to tell about h/; bring the news about h/

Paired with: biidaadodan vti

biidaajimo vai s/he brings the news

(benefactive) biidaajimotaw vta bring the news to h/ (detransitive) biidaajimotaage vai s/he brings the news to people (derived noun) biidaajimowin ni news
biidaajimotaw vta bring the news to h/

biidaajimotaage vai s/he brings the news to people

biidaajimowin ni news

biidaanagidoone vai s/he comes talking

biidaanakwad vii clouds approach

biidaanakwagoode vii clouds in the sky come here

biidaandawe vai s/he climbs here

biidaanimad vii the wind comes, blows this way

biidaanimizi vai s/he comes in fear

biidaapi vai s/he comes laughing

biidaasamabi vai s/he sits facing this way

biidaasamigaabawi vai s/he stands facing this way

biidaasamisidoon vti2 lay it facing this way

Paired with: biidaasamishim vta

biidaasamishim vta lay h/ facing this way

Paired with: biidaasamisidoon vti2

biidaasamishin vai s/he lies down facing this way

biidaasamishkaa vai s/he paddles here; s/he comes in a boat

biidaasamose vai s/he walks here

biidaasige vai s/he comes with light, shines this way

biidaasin vii it is blown here (by the wind); sails, soars here

Paired with: biidaashi vai

biidaashi vai s/he is blown here (by the wind); sails, soars here

Paired with: biidaasin vii

biidaashkaa vii waves come here

biidaawadoon vti2 haul it here

Paired with: biidaawazh vta

(detransitive) biidaawajige vai s/he hauls things here
biidaawajige vai s/he hauls things here

biidaawanidiwag vai they travel here in a group

biidaawazh vta haul h/ here

Paired with: biidaawadoon vti2

(reciprocal) biidaawanidiwag vai they travel here in a group
biidaazhagaame vai s/he comes along shore

biidaazhagaamebatoo vai s/he runs here along the shore

biidaazakonebizo vai s/he drives here with a light

biidaazakonenjige vai s/he comes with a light

biidaazakwanenjige vai s/he comes with a light

biidikwewe vai he brings a wife home

biidin vta hand h/ over (here)

Paired with: biidinan 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.

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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.