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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

biinisaagamin vii it (a liquid) is tasteless, is insipid

biinisidaamikane vai s/he has a numb chin or jaw

biinisidiye vai s/he has a numb rear

biinisidoon vai [S] s/he has numb lips

See also: biinisidoone vai [N]

biinisidoone vai [N] s/he has numb lips

See also: biinisidoon vai [S]

biinisigaade vai s/he has a numb leg or numb legs

biinisimaagozi vai s/he smells bland

Paired with: biinisimaagwad vii

biinisimaagwad vii it smells bland

Paired with: biinisimaagozi vai

biinisinike vai s/he has a numb arm or numb arms

biinisininjii vai s/he has a numb hand or numb hands

biinisipogozi vai it (animate) is tasteless

Paired with: biinisipogwad vii

biinisipogwad vii it is tasteless

Paired with: biinisipogozi vai

biinisitawage vai s/he has a numb ear or numb ears

biinisizekwe vai h/ cooking is bland, is unflavored

biinisizi vai it (animate) is plain, bland, numb, flavorless, without sensation

Paired with: biinisaa vii

biinisizide vai s/he has numb foot or numb feet

biinisiingwe vai s/he has a numb face

biinish adv gram until; up to

biinitamaw vta clean (it) for h/

biinitaw vta clean (it) for h/

biinitawage vai s/he has a clean ear or clean ears

biinitoon vti2 clean it

Paired with: biini' vta

(verb of undergoing) biinichigaade vii it is cleaned (by someone), "they" clean it (verb of undergoing) biinichigaazo vai s/he is cleaned (by someone), "they" clean h/ (detransitive) biinichige vai s/he cleans things (benefactive) biinitamaw vta clean (it) for h/ (benefactive) biinitaw vta clean (it) for h/
biinizi vai s/he or it (animate) is clean

Paired with: biinad vii

biinizide vai s/he has a clean foot or clean feet

biinizikaa adv man for no reason; spontaneously; suddenly

biiniigad vii it (sheet-like) is clean

Paired with: biiniigizi vai

biiniigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is clean

Paired with: biiniigad vii

biiniingwe vai s/he has a clean face

biinjaya'ii adv loc inside it

See also: biinjayi'ii adv loc

biinjayi'ii adv loc inside it

See also: biinjaya'ii adv loc

biinjaabibinidizo vai s/he pokes h/ self in the eye

biinjaabibizh vta poke h/ in the eye

(reflexive) biinjaabibinidizo vai s/he pokes h/ self in the eye
biinjaabishin vai s/he gets poked in the eye by something

biinji- pv lex inside, indoors

biinji-abinaas adv loc

biinji-gizhaabikizigan adv loc in the stove, in the oven

biinji-waazh adv loc in a den, cave, lair, or burrow

biinji-wiigiwaam adv loc inside the wigwam

biinji-wiish adv loc inside a beaver or muskrat lodge

biinjibadoon vti2 put liquid in it

biinjibide vii it drives, speeds, flies, falls in

Paired with: biinjibizo vai

biinjibizo vai s/he speeds, drives, flies, falls in

Paired with: biinjibide vii

biinjiboonaagan na a fish trap

biinjidakokaadan vti

biinjidaw adv loc into a river or bay from a lake, in a river or bay inland from a lake

biinjidawa'o vai s/he enters a river or bay from a lake in a boat

biinjidawakwazhiwe vai s/he paddles into a river or a bay from a lake

biinjidawaa vii it is an outlet

biinjidawaanimad vii the wind blows into river or bay from a lake

biinjidaabaan adv loc in a car

biinjidenaniweni vai s/he sticks h/ tongue into something

biinjidenigomeshin vai s/he gets poked in the nose by something

biinjidiyeni vai s/he sticks h/ butt into something

biinjidoon adv loc inside the mouth

biinjigoneweshin vai s/he gets poked in the mouth by something

biinjigwaashkwani vai s/he jumps in

biinjijaan adv loc [N] inside the nose

See also: biinjijaanzh adv loc

biinjijaaneyaabaawe vai s/he gets water in h/ nose

biinjijaanzh adv loc inside the nose

See also: biinjijaan adv loc [N]

biinjijiwan vii it flows in

biinjimisad adv loc in the stomach

biinjina adv loc [BL] inside the body

See also: biinjinaw adv loc

biinjinaw adv loc inside the body

See also: biinjina adv loc [BL]

biinjinaagan adv loc in a dish

biinjinikebani'o vai s/he sticks h/ arm in quickly

biinjinikeni vai s/he reaches h/ arm in, sticks h/ arm in

biinjininjiini vai s/he puts h/ hand or finger in

biinjipwaagan adv loc in a pipe

biinjise vii it flies, falls in

Paired with: biinjise vai

biinjise vai s/he flies, falls in; s/he is in debt, is in the hole

Paired with: biinjise vii

biinjisidoon vti2 lay or put it in something

Paired with: biinjishim vta

biinjisin vii it lies in something

Paired with: biinjishin vai

biinjisheshkaw vta

biinjisheyaabaawe vai s/he gets water in h/ ear

biinjishim vta lay or put put h/ or it (animate) in something

Paired with: biinjisidoon vti2

biinjishin vai s/he or it (animate) lies in something

Paired with: biinjisin vii

biinjishkiinzhig adv loc in the eye

biinjitawag adv loc inside an ear

biinjitawageshin vai s/he gets poked in the ear by something

biinjitawageshkaw vta

biinjiweba'amaw vta [BL] shove or knock (it) in for h/; [hockey] shoot it (the puck) in and score on h/ (the goalie)

biinjiweba'an vti [BL] shove or knock it in (using something); [hockey] shoot it (the puck) in the goal and score

Paired with: biinjiweba'wi vta [BL] See also: biinjweba'an vti [MN]

(detransitive) biinjiweba'ige vai s/he shoves or knocks something in (using something); s/he plays pool; s/he shoots and scores [hockey]
biinjiweba'ige vai s/he plays pool; s/he shoves or knocks something in (using something); s/he shoots and scores [hockey]

biinjiweba'igewasab na [BL] a hockey goal

See also: zhooshkwaada'ewasab na [BL]

biinjiweba'wi vta [BL] shove or knock h/ or it (animate) in (using something)

Paired with: biinjiweba'an vti [BL] See also: biinjweba' vta

biinjiwebin vta [BL] shove or throw h/ or it (animate) in

Paired with: biinjiwebinan vti [BL] See also: biinjwebin vta [MN]

biinjiwebinan vti [BL] shove or throw it in

Paired with: biinjiwebin vta [BL] See also: biinjwebinan vti [MN]

biinjiwebishkan vti kick it in, shove it in (with foot or body)

Paired with: biinjiwebishkaw vta

biinjiwebishkaw vta kick h/ in, shove h/ in (with foot or body)

Paired with: biinjiwebishkan vti

biinjizhaazo vai s/he pees into something

biinjizidebani'o vai s/he sticks h/ foot in quickly

biinjizideni vai s/he puts h/ foot in

biinjizidese vai h/ foot slips in, slides in

biinjweba' vta shove or knock h/ or it (animate) in (using something)

Paired with: biinjweba'an vti [MN] See also: biinjiweba'wi vta [BL]

biinjweba'an vti [MN] shove or knock it in (using something)

Paired with: biinjweba' vta See also: biinjiweba'an vti [BL]

biinjwebin vta [MN] shove or throw h/ or it (animate) in

Paired with: biinjwebinan vti [MN] See also: biinjiwebin vta [BL]

biinjwebinan vti [MN]
  1. shove or throw it in
  2. cast it (a vote or ballot)

Paired with: biinjwebin vta [MN] See also: biinjiwebinan vti [BL]

(detransitive) biinjwebinige vai
  1. s/he throws things in
  2. s/he votes
(benefactive) biinjwebinigetamaw vta vote for h/
(detransitive) biinjwebinigetamaage vai s/he votes for someone
biinjwebinige vai
  1. s/he throws things in
  2. s/he votes

biinjwebinigetamaw vta vote for h/

biinjwebinigetamaage vai s/he votes for someone

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.