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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

babiikwadaawangaasin vii there are sand dunes

babiikwadinaa vii there are hills here and there

babiikwakamigaa vii it is rolling ground, bumpy ground

babiikwasin na a boulder

babiikwashkiigaa vii it is a hummocky musekg

babiikwashkoozo vai it (a net) knots up

babiikwaabiigad vii it (string-like) has knots, has lumps on it

Paired with: babiikwaabiigizi vai

babiikwaabiigizi vai it (animate; string-like) has knots, has lumps on it

Paired with: babiikwaabiigad vii

babiikwaadigose vii there are riffles (ruffles) in the flowing water

babiikwaakoninjiini vai

babiikwaakwadwaagonagin vta make h/ (snow) into snowballs

babiikwaanakwad vii it is a cumulus cloud

babiikwaanakwad vii there are cumulus clouds

babiikwaanaamikaa vii the bottom (of a body of water) is rough and bumpy

babiikwaanikwe'o vai s/he combs h/ hair in a wave or waves

babiimwaagonatoon vti2

babiimwaagone'idiwag vai they have a snowball fight

babiinitam vai2 s/he doesn't listen; s/he doesn't follow instructions, disregards or disobeys instructions

babiinitaw vta don't follow h/ instructions, disregard or disobey h/ instructions

babiinzikawaagan ni a coat, a jacket

See also: biinzikawaagan ni [BL]

(verb of possession) obabiinzikawaagani vai s/he has a coat or jacket
babiisibii'an vti write it small, draw it small

(detransitive) babiisibii'ige vai s/he writes small
babiisibii'ige vai s/he writes small

babiisibiisaa vii there is light rain, drizzle; it is drizzling

babiiskijiitaa vai s/he bends, folds, flexes h/ body repeatedly

babiiskinikeni vai s/he bends, flexes h/ arms

babiishigon vta miss grabbing or catching h/ repeatedly

babiishigonan keep missing it grabbing or catching it; keep dropping or letting it go from your grasp

babiitaakodoondaneshin vai s/he keeps hitting h/ heels on it (stick-like) accidentally

babiitaakoshkan vti

babiiwanowe vai s/he has tiny cheeks

babiiwaabide vai s/he has tiny teeth

babiiwaakoziwag vai they (animate; stick-like) are small

Paired with: babiiwaakwadoon vii

babiiwaakwadoon vii they (stick-like) are small

Paired with: babiiwaakoziwag vai

babiiwaawan vii they (inanimate) are small, are tiny

Paired with: babiiwizhenyiwag vai [NI] ; babiiwizhiinyiwag vai

babiiwiminagadoon vii they are tiny (as something ball-like)

Paired with: babiiwiminagiziwag vai

babiiwiminagiziwag vai they are tiny (as something ball-like)

Paired with: babiiwiminagadoon vii

babiiwinike vai s/he has small arms; s/he has thin arms

babiiwininjii vai s/he has tiny hands

babiiwishkiinzhigwe vai s/he has small eyes

babiiwitawage vai s/he has tiny ears

babiiwizhenyiwag vai [NI] they (animate) are small, are tiny

Paired with: babiiwaawan vii See also: babiiwizhiinyiwag vai

babiiwizide vai s/he has tiny feet

babiiwizidekawe vai s/he leaves tiny-footed tracks

babiiwizhiinyiwag vai they (animate) are small, are tiny

Paired with: babiiwaawan vii See also: babiiwizhenyiwag vai [NI]

babiizigaa vii it is curly, is curled, is crinkled

Paired with: babiizigizi vai

babiizigaakiz vta curl h/ hair (by heat)

babiizigaakizan vti curl it (by heat)

Paired with: babiizigaakiz vta

(derived noun) babiizigaakizigan ni a curling iron (detransitive) babiizigaakizige vai h/ hair is curled (by heat)
babiizigaakizigan ni a curling iron

babiizigaakizige vai h/ hair is curled (by heat)

babiizigaakizigewigamig ni a beauty parlor, a hair dressing salon

babiizigaakizigewikwe na a (female) hairdresser

babiizigaakizigewinini na a (male) hairdresser

babiizigaakizo vai s/he curls h/ hair

(derived noun) babiizigaakizon ni a curler
babiizigaakizon ni a curler

babiizigaanikwe vai s/he has curly hair

babiizigaanikweyaakizigan ni a curling iron

babiizigaanikweyaakizige vai s/he curls hair, gives permanents

babiizigaanikweyaakizigekwe na a hairdresser (female)

babiizigaanikweyaakizo vai s/he has h/ hair curled (by heat); s/he gets a pemanent

babiizigaanikweyaakizwi vta curl h/ hair (by heat); give h/ a permanent

babiizigindibe vai s/he has curly hair

babiizigishkaa vii it curls up, crinkles

babiizigitaagozi vai s/he sounds hoarse; h/ voice is not clear

babiizigitigwaane vai s/he has curly hair

babiizigizi vai it (animate) is curly, is curled, is crinkled

Paired with: babiizigaa vii

babiizigiigad vii it (sheet-like) is curled, is crinkled, is crumpled

Paired with: babiizigiigizi vai

babiizigiigishkaa vii it (sheet-like) curls up, wrinkles

babiizigiigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is curled, is crinkled, is crumpled

Paired with: babiizigiigad vii

babiizigwagazhe vai babiizigwagazhe

babwedaadan vti keep blowing on it

See also: baaboodaadan vti

babwedaazh vta breathe on, blow on on h/ or it (animate)

See also: baaboodaazh vta

badagoshkan vti cover it with h/ body, lie protectively on it

Paired with: badagoshkaw vta

badagoshkaw vta cover h/ with body, lie protectively on h/

Paired with: badagoshkan vti

badagoshkwemaginan vti cover it with bark

badagwana' vta cover h/

Paired with: badagwana'an vti

badagwana'an vti cover it

Paired with: badagwana' vta

(detransitive) badagwana'ige vai s/he covers things (verb of undergoing) badagwana'igaade vii it is covered (by someone), "they" cover it (verb of undergoing) badagwana'igaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is covered (by someone), "they" cover h/ or it (animate) badagwana'igan ni a cover, a tarpaulin
badagwana'igan ni a cover, a tarpaulin

badagwana'igaade vii it is covered (by someone), "they" cover it

Paired with: badagwana'igaazo vai

badagwana'igaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is covered (by someone), "they" cover h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: badagwana'igaade vii

badagwana'ige vai s/he covers things

badagwiingweshin vai s/he lies with h/ face covered

badaka' vta
  1. stick h/ or it (animate) with something sharp, prick h/ or it (animate), use a fork on it (animate)
  2. give h/ an injection, a shot

Paired with: badaka'an vti

(reflexive) badaka'odizo vai s/he sticks, pricks h/ self (with something sharp); s/he gives h/self an injection
badaka'an vti stick it (with something sharp), prick it, use a fork on it

Paired with: badaka' vta

(detransitive) badaka'ige vai s/he sticks something in things, pricks things (derived noun) badaka'igan ni a fork
badaka'igan ni a fork

badaka'ige vai s/he sticks something in things, pricks things

badaka'odizo vai s/he sticks, pricks h/ self (with something sharp); s/he gives h/self an injection

badakakiiwebinan vti throw it sticking into the ground

badakashka'igan ni a pitchfork

badakaakose vai it (animate) sticks in wood

Paired with: badakaakose vii

badakaakose vii it sticks in wood

Paired with: badakaakose vai

badakaakosidoon vti2 stick it in wood

Paired with: badakaakoshim vta

badakaakosin vii it sticks in wood

Paired with: badakaakoshin vai See also: badakaakwisin vii

badakaakoshim vta stick h/ in wood

Paired with: badakaakosidoon vti2

badakaakoshin vai s/he sticks in wood

Paired with: badakaakosin vii

badakaakwisin vii it sticks in wood

See also: badakaakosin vii

badakibidoon vti2 hook, snag it

Paired with: badakibizh vta

(detransitive) badakibijige vai s/he hooks something
badakibijige vai s/he hooks something

badakibine'o vai s/he sticks a feather in h/ (own) hair or hat

badakibine'on na a plume, a single feather ornament worn in the hair

badakibizh vta hook, grab onto h/ (with something sharp)

Paired with: badakibidoon vti2

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.