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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

biinjwebinigewi-giizhigad vii it is election day

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

Paired with: biinjwebishkaw vta

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

Paired with: biinjwebishkan vti

biinzaabam vta look in at or into, peek in at h/

Paired with: biinzaabandan vti

biinzaabandan vti look in at or into, peek in at it

Paired with: biinzaabam vta

biinzaabi vai s/he looks in, peeks in

biinzibadoon vti2 pour liquid in it

Paired with: biinzibazh vta

biinzibazh vta pour liquid in h/ or it (animate; container)

Paired with: biinzibadoon vti2

biinzikawaagan ni [BL] a coat, a jacket

See also: babiinzikawaagan ni

(verb of possession) obiinzikawaagani vai [BL] s/he has a coat/coats or a jacket/jackets
biinzo vai s/he or it (animate) is in (something)

Paired with: biinde vii

biipiinjigana'onag na a dew-claw game

biisada' vta chop h/ into small pieces

Paired with: biisada'an vti

biisada'an vti chop it into small pieces

Paired with: biisada' vta

biisada'igaade vii it is chopped into small pieces (by someone), "they" chop it into small pieces

biisadaawangad vii [BR] it (sand-like) is fine

Paired with: biisadaawangizi vai

biisadaawangi- pv lex granulated, sand-like, powder

biisadaawangizi vai it (animate; sand-like) is fine

Paired with: biisadaawangad vii [BR]

biisadikwanezi s/he (a tree) has small branches

biisa' vta chop h/ fine, mince h/

Paired with: biisa'an vti

biisa'am vai2 s/he makes bubbles, leaves bubbles

biisa'an vti chop it fine, mince it

Paired with: biisa' vta

biisa'ise vai s/he makes kindling

biisam vta chew h/ into small pieces

Paired with: biisandan vti

biisandamaw vta chew (it) into small pieces for h/

biisandan vti chew it into small pieces

Paired with: biisam vta

(benefactive) biisandamaw vta chew (it) into small pieces for h/
biisaa vii it is fine; it is in particles

Paired with: biisizi vai

biisaandagizi vai s/he (tree) has fine needles

biisaandago-zhingwaak na [BL] a white pine

[
eastern white pine
; 
Pinus strobus
]

biisaandago-zhingwaakokaa vii there are (many) white pines

biisaanikwe vai s/he has fine hair

biisaawangi- pv lex in small particles, sand-like, powdered

biisaawangi-manoomin ni fine wild rice, broken wild rice

See also: biisi-manoomin ni

biisi- pv lex fine, in small particles

biisi-manoomin ni fine wild rice, broken wild rice

See also: biisaawangi-manoomin ni

biisi-zhooniyaans na small change

biisibidoon vti2 break it into small pieces with hands; crumble it

Paired with: biisibizh vta

biisibizh vta break h/ into small pieces with hands; crumble h/

Paired with: biisibidoon vti2

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

See also: biisibiisaan vii [BL]

biisibiisaan vii [BL] there is light rain, drizzle; it is drizzling

See also: biisibiisaa vii

biisiboodamaw vta grind, mill, grate (it) for h/

biisiboode vii it is ground, milled, grated; it is sawn into small pieces

Paired with: biisiboozo vai

biisiboodoon vti2 grind, mill, grate it; saw it into small pieces

Paired with: biisiboozh vta

biisiboodamaw vta grind, mill, grate (it) for h/ (detransitive) biisiboojige vai s/he grinds, mills, grates something (derived noun) biisiboojigan na corn meal (derived noun) biisiboojigan ni a grinder, a mill; a sawmill
biisiboojigan na corn meal

biisiboojigan ni a grinder, a mill; a sawmill

biisiboojiganaaboo na cornmeal soup

biisiboojigani-bakwezhigan na [BL] johnnycake

biisiboojigani-bakwezhiganens na [BL] a cornmeal muffin

biisiboojige vai s/he grinds, mills, grates something

biisiboozh vta grind, mill, grate h/; saw h/ into small pieces

Paired with: biisiboodoon vti2

biisiboozo vai it (animate) is ground, milled, grated; it (animate) is sawn into small pieces

Paired with: biisiboode vii

biisiga' vta chop h/ into kindling

Paired with: biisiga'an vti

biisiga'an vti chop it into kindling

Paired with: biisiga' vta

biisiga'isaan ni kindling wood

biisiga'ise vai s/he chops small pieces of firewood

biisiga'wi vta [NI]

► biisiga' vta

biisigwaashkwani vai s/he takes a little jump

biisikodan vti cut, carve it into fine pieces

Paired with: biisikozh vta

biisikozh vta cut, carve it (animate) into fine pieces

Paired with: biisikodan vti

biisiminagad vii it (something small and round) is fine, is tiny

Paired with: biisiminagizi vai

biisiminagishkan vti crush it (berry, grain) into fine pieces (by foot)

(detransitive) biisiminagishkige vai s/he crushes the wild rice into fine pieces (by foot), dances the wild rice too much crushing it into fine pieces
biisiminagishkige vai s/he crushes the wild rice into fine pieces (by foot), dances the wild rice too much crushing it into fine pieces

biisiminagizi vai s/he (something round) is fine, is tiny

Paired with: biisiminagad vii

biisipon vii there is fine snow falling, powder snow falling

biisitaagan ni a bubble

biisiwebinige vai s/he dances with fast steps, fiddles fast

biisiwebinige-nagamon ni a song for a jingle-dress dance

biisizh vta cut h/ into small pieces, dice h/

Paired with: biisizhan vti

biisizhan vti cut it into small pieces, dice it

Paired with: biisizh vta

biisizi vai s/he is fine; s/he is in particles

Paired with: biisaa vii

biisizhwi vta

► biisizh vta

biiswewebiisaan vii there is the sound of light rain, of drizzle

biiswewigwane vai it (animate) has fine fluffy feathers

biisweyiigin ni [BL] flannel

biitagoode vai s/he puts on h/ dress

biitakizine vai [BL] s/he puts on h/ moccasins or shoes

biitakizine' vta put shoes or moccasins on h/

biitawagoodaan ni a slip

biitawagoode vai she wears one dress under another, wears a slip

biitawaya'ii adv loc in between layers

biitawazhaan ni an extra blanket on top

biitawazhe vai s/he has another blanket on

(causative) biitawazhe' vta add another layer of blankets to h/
biitawazhe' vta add another layer of blankets to h/

biitawazhigane vai s/he has another pair of socks on

biitazhigane vai s/he puts on h/ socks

(causative) biitazhigane' vta put socks on h/
(reflexive) biitazhigane'idizo vai s/he puts h/ socks on h/ self
biitazhigane' vta put socks on h/

biitazhigane'idizo vai s/he puts h/ socks on h/ self

biitaagime vai s/he puts snowshoes on

biite ni foam

(verb of being) biitewan vii it is foamy
biitewan vii it is foamy

biitewaaboo ni beer

biitewaagamin vii it (a liquid) is foamy

biitewidoone vai s/he has foam at the mouth

biitoo- pv lex as a layer

biitoo-babagiwayaan ni an undershirt

See also: biitoo-bagiwayaan ni [BL]

biitoo-bagiwayaan ni [BL] an undershirt

See also: biitoo-babagiwayaan ni

biitoo-giboodiyegwaazon na a pair of underpants

biitoo-midaasens ni [BL] (a pair of) panties

biitoobidoon vti2 split it into layers with hands

Paired with: biitoobizh vta

biitoobizh vta split h/ into layers with hands

Paired with: biitoobidoon vti2

biitoogamaa vii it is a lake parallel to or above another

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.