Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

biidwewegamitoo vai s/he is heard coming in the water

biidwewejiwan vii it is heard flowing this way, here

biidwewekamigibatoo vai s/he is heard running here on the ground

biidwewekamigishin vai s/he is heard coming stepping on the ground

biidwewenaamo vai s/he is heard coming breathing hard

biidwewesagibatoo vai s/he is heard running here on the floor

biidwewesagishin vai s/he is heard stepping here on floor

biidwewesin vii it is heard ringing as it comes

Paired with: biidweweshin vai

biidweweshin vai s/he is heard walking here

biidwewetoo vai s/he comes making vocal noise

biidweweyaadagaa vai s/he is heard swimming here

See also: bimweweyaadage vai [BL]

biidweweyaadagaako vai s/he is heard coming here on the ice

biidweweyaadagaazii vai s/he is heard wading here

biidweweyaadage vai [BL] s/he is heard swimming here

See also: biidweweyaadagaa vai

biidweweyaagone vai s/he is heard coming in the snow

biidweweyaagonebatoo vai s/he is heard running here in snow

biidweweyaagoneshin vai s/he is heard walking here in the snow

biidweweyaagoneshkige vai s/he is heard trudging here through the snow

biidweweyaakwaji vai s/he is heard coming getting hung up in the bushes

biidweweyaanagidoone vai s/he is heard talking as s/he comes

biidweweyaandawe vai s/he is heard climbing here

biidweweyaanimad vii the wind is heard coming

biidwewidam vai2 s/he comes calling, comes sounding; s/he comes speaking

biig na a spade suite card

biigijiisag na a decayed tree, a rotten tree

biigijiisag ni decayed wood

(verb of being) biigijiisagowan vii it is rotten wood, is punk
biigijiisagad vii it (wood) is rotten, falls to pieces; it is punky wood

Paired with: biigijiisagizi vai

biigijiisagizi vai s/he (board, tree) is rotten, falls to pieces

Paired with: biigijiisagad vii

biigijiisagowan vii it is rotten wood, is punk

biigiskaadendam vai2 s/he is bored, is not interested, is listless, is depressed

biigiskaadendan vti not be interested in it, find it boring

Paired with: biigiskaadenim vta

biigiskaadendaagozi vai s/he is boring

Paired with: biigiskaadendaagwad vii

biigiskaadendaagwad vii it is boring

Paired with: biigiskaadendaagozi vai

biigiskaadenim vta find h/ boring; not be interested in h/ company

Paired with: biigiskaadendan vti

biigiskaazitaagozi vai

biigizawakwad vii it is hazy; there are scattered clouds

biigizawaabam vta see h/ indistinctly, have a blurry view of h/

Paired with: biigizawaabandan vti

biigizawaabandan vti see it indistinctly, see it as blurry

Paired with: biigizawaabam vta

biigizawaabi vai s/he has blurry vision

biigizawewidam vai2 s/he sounds unclear or fuzzy in the distance

biigizawinam vai2 s/he has blurry vision

biigizawinan vti see it indistinctly, see it as blurry

Paired with: biigizawinaw vta

biigizawinaw vta see h/ indistinctly, see h/ as blurry

Paired with: biigizawinan vti

biigizawinaagozi vai s/he can't be seen well, is blurry

Paired with: biigizawinaagwad vii

biigizawinaagwad vii it can't be seen well, is blurry

Paired with: biigizawinaagozi vai

biigizawitaagozi vai s/he or it (animate) sounds unclear, sounds fuzzy or noisy; it is hard to make out what s/he says or means

Paired with: biigizawitaagwad vii

biigizawitaagwad vii it sounds unclear, sounds fuzzy or noisy; it is hard to make out what it says or means

Paired with: biigizawitaagozi vai

biigobidoon vti2 rip, tear it up

Paired with: biigobizh vta

(detransitive) biigobijige vai s/he tears, rips things (passive) biigobijigaade vii it is torn, ripped (by someone), "they" tear, rip it (passive) biigobijigaazo vai s/he is torn, ripped (by someone), "they" tear, rip h/
biigobijigaade vii it is torn, ripped (by someone), "they" tear, rip it

Paired with: biigobijigaazo vai

biigobijigaazo vai s/he is torn, ripped (by someone), "they" tear, rip h/

Paired with: biigobijigaade vii

biigobijige vai s/he tears, rips things

biigobizh vta rip, tear h/ up

Paired with: biigobidoon vti2

biigoboode vii it breaks by abrasion

Paired with: biigoboozo vai

biigoboodoon vti2 break it by abrasion (sawing, filing, grinding)

Paired with: biigoboozh vta

biigoboozh vta break h/ by abrasion (sawing, filing, grinding)

Paired with: biigoboodoon vti2

biigoboozo vai s/he breaks by abrasion

Paired with: biigoboode vii

biigodaabaane vai s/he has a broken-down car

biigode vii it breaks by heat

Paired with: biigozo vai

biigoganaam vta damage, ruin, break h/ by hitting

Paired with: biigoganaandan vti

biigoganaandan vti damage, ruin, break it by hitting

Paired with: biigoganaam vta

biigojiise vii it ruptures; it tears open

biigojiishkaa vai s/he bursts open

Paired with: biigojiishkaa vii

biigojiishkaa vii it bursts open

Paired with: biigojiishkaa vai

biigokokwe'owesi na a whip-poor-will

[
Caprimulgus vociferus
]

biigon vta break h/ (by hand); dismantle h/

Paired with: biigonan vti

biigonan vti break it (by hand); dismantle it, tear it down

Paired with: biigon vta

(verb of undergoing) biigonigaade vii it is broken up
biigonaabikwaaneshin vai

biigonigaade vii it is broken up

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

Paired with: biigose vii

biigose vii it goes to pieces, breaks down

Paired with: biigose vai

biigosidoon vti2 break it (by dropping); smash it

Paired with: biigoshim vta

(detransitive) biigosijige vai s/he breaks things (by dropping)
biigosijige vai s/he breaks things (by dropping)

biigosin vii it breaks (on impact)

Paired with: biigoshin vai

biigoshim vta break h/ (by dropping); smash h/

Paired with: biigosidoon vti2

biigoshin vai s/he breaks (on impact)

Paired with: biigosin vii

biigoshkaw vta break, damage h/ with body or feet

biigoshkaa vai
  1. s/he breaks, is broken
  2. s/he is broke (out of money)

Paired with: biigoshkaa vii

biigoshkaa vii it breaks, is broken

Paired with: biigoshkaa vai

biigozh vta cut up h/ with blade

Paired with: biigozhan vti

biigozhan vti cut up it with blade

Paired with: biigozh vta

biigozhaanidizo vai s/he gets diaper rash

biigozhigaade vii it is cut up

biigozhigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is cut up

biigozo vai s/he breaks by heat

Paired with: biigode vii

biigwa' vta break h/ (using something)

Paired with: biigwa'an vti

biigwa'an vti break, destroy it (using something); tear it down (using something)

Paired with: biigwa' vta

(verb of undergoing) biigwa'igaade vii it is broken, destroyed (by someone) (using something), "they" break, destroy it (using something)
biigwa'igaade vii it is broken, destroyed (by someone) (using something), "they" break, destroy it (using something)

biigwa'wi vta [NI]

biigwakamigibidoon vti2 break it up (as ground); plow it

(detransitive) biigwakamigibijige vai s/he plows (derived noun) biigwakamigibijigan na a plow
biigwakamigibijigan na a plow

biigwakamigibijige vai s/he plows

biigwam vta chew h/ up; ruin, damage h/ (by chewing)

Paired with: biigwandan vti

biigwanagekozi vai

biigwandan vti chew it up; ruin, damage it (by chewing)

Paired with: biigwam vta

(detransitive) biigwanjige vai s/he chews things up (verb of undergoing) biigwanjigaade vii it is chewed up (by someone), "they" chew it up (verb of undergoing) biigwanjigaazo vai s/he is chewed up (by someone), "they" chew h/ up
biigwanjigaade vii it is chewed up (by someone), "they" chew it up

biigwanjigaazo vai s/he is chewed up (by someone), "they" chew h/ up

biigwanjige vai s/he chews things up

biigwawe vai s/he or it (animate) is bushy

biigwazhese vai s/he breaks out in a rash

biigwaabaawadoon vti2 ruin it in the water

Paired with: biigwaabaawazh vta

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.