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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
]

biigokwanaye vai s/he wears torn clothes

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 vii it goes to pieces, breaks down

Paired with: biigose vai

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

Paired with: biigose vii

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 vii it breaks, is broken

Paired with: biigoshkaa vai

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

Paired with: biigoshkaa vii

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

biigwaabaawazh vta ruin it (animate) in the water

Paired with: biigwaabaawadoon vti2

biigwaabaawe vai s/he gets ruined in the water

Paired with: biigwaabaawe vii

biigwaabaawe vii it gets ruined in the water

Paired with: biigwaabaawe vai

biigwaakide vii it breaks, is damaged in the fire

biigwaanakwaasin clouds are breaking up

biigwaasin vii it is damaged by the wind, is blown apart

Paired with: biigwaashi vai

biigwaashi vai it (animate) is damaged by the wind, is blown apart

Paired with: biigwaasin vii

bii' vta wait for h/

Paired with: biitoon vti2

bii'o vai s/he waits

biijiba'idiwag vai they run here together

biijiba'igo vai s/he rides here, drives here (drawn by horse or dog)

biijiba'iwe vai s/he runs here in flight from someone

biijibatoo vai s/he runs here

biijibatwaadan vti run here with it

Paired with: biijibatwaazh vta

biijibatwaazh vta run here with h/

biijibide vii it speeds, drives, flies here

Paired with: biijibizo vai

biijibizo vai s/he speeds, drives, flies here

Paired with: biijibide vii

biijibizoni' vta drive h/ here

biijibizonitoon vti2 drive it here

biijibii'ige vai s/he sends a letter here; s/he writes here

biijibiisaa vii [S] rain comes

See also: biijibiisaan vii [BL]

biijibiisaan vii [BL] rain comes

See also: biijibiisaa vii [S]

biijidaabaadan vti drag, pull it here

Paired with: biijidaabaazh vta

biijidaabaade vii it is pulled, pushed, or dragged here (on something)

Paired with: biijidaabaazo vai

biijidaabaazh vta drag, pull h/ here

Paired with: biijidaabaadan vti

biijidaabaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is pulled, pushed, or dragged here (on something)

Paired with: biijidaabaade vii

biijidaabii vai s/he drags, pulls a load here

(causative) biijidaabii' vta drive it (animate; an animal or means of transportation) here
(detransitive) biijidaabii'iwe vai s/he drives here
biijidaabii' vta drive it (animate; an animal or means of transportation) here

biijidaabii'iwe vai s/he drives here

biijidiyeshin vai s/he lies with rear facing this way

biijigaade vii it is brought (by someone), "they" bring it

Paired with: biijigaazo vai

biijigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is brought (by someone), "they" bring h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: biijigaade vii

biijigidaazo vai s/he comes here angry, comes here mad

biijigigwane na an osprey

[
fish hawk
; 
Pandion haliaetus
]

biijigozi vai s/he moves here to live

biijigwaashkwani vai s/he jumps here

biijijiwan vii it flows here

biijikawe vai s/he comes leaving tracks; h/ tracks come here

biijimaagozi vai s/he gives off a smell

Paired with: biijimaagwad vii

biijimaagwad vii it gives off a smell

Paired with: biijimaagozi vai

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.