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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

biisiga' vta chop it (animate) into kindling

Paired with: biisiga'an vti See also: biisiga'wi vta [NI]

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] chop it (animate) into kindling

Paired with: biisiga'an vti See also: 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 [MN] cut it (animate) into small pieces, dice it (animate)

Paired with: biisizhan vti See also: biisizhwi vta [NI]

biisizhan vti cut it into small pieces, dice it

Paired with: biisizh vta [MN]

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

Paired with: biisaa vii

biisizhwi vta [NI]

► biisizh vta [MN]

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

biiswewigwane vai it (animate) has fine fluffy feathers

biisweyiigad vii it (sheet-like) is fluffy, is wooly, is nappy

Paired with: biisweyiigizi vai

biisweyiigin ni [BL] flannel

biisweyiigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is fuzzy, is wooly, is nappy

Paired with: biisweyiigad vii

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

biitoogamig ni [BL] a porch

biitoogwaadan vti sew a lining in it

Paired with: biitoogwaazh vta

(detransitive) biitoogwaajige vai s/he sews a lining in something (derived noun) biitoogwaajigan ni something sewn in as a liner or lining or something with a liner or lining sewn in it: liner, lining, moccasin liner, quilt with lining
biitoogwaade vii it has a lining sewn in it

Paired with: biitoogwaazo vai

biitoogwaajigan ni something sewn in as a liner or lining or something with a liner or lining sewn in it: liner, lining, moccasin liner, quilt with lining

biitoogwaajige vai s/he sews a lining in something

biitoogwaazh vta sew a lining in it (animate)

Paired with: biitoogwaadan vti

biitoogwaazo vai it (animate) has a lining sewn in it

biitookizin ni an overshoe

biitookizinaan ni an overshoe

biitookizine vai s/he wears overshoes

(derived noun) biitookizinaan ni an overshoe
biitookonaye vai s/he wears layers (as underwear)

biitoomagooday ni [BL] a slip

See also: biitoomagoodaas ni [BL]

biitoomagoodaas ni [BL] a slip

Paired with: biitoomagooday ni [BL]

biitoon vti2 wait for it

Paired with: bii' vta

biitoonigan ni [BL] a sandwich

biitoosidoon vti2 put it in between as a layer

Paired with: biitooshim vta

(derived noun) biitoosijigan na a pie
biitoosijigan na a pie

biitoosijigani-bakwezhigan na a pie

See also: biitoosijigan na

biitoosin vii it lies in a layer

Paired with: biitooshin vai

biitooskobiigaa vii there is slushy water between layers of ice

biitooshim vta put h/ in between as a layer

biitooshin vai s/he lies in a layer

Paired with: biitoosin vii

biitooshkan vti wear an inside layer of it

Paired with: biitooshkaw vta

biitooshkige vai s/he wears underwear on, has underwear on (derived noun) biitooshkigan ni (an item of) underwear
biitooshkaw vta wear an inside layer of it (animate)

Paired with: biitooshkan vti

biitooshkigan ni (an item of) underwear

biitooshkige vai s/he wears underwear on, has underwear on

biitoozh vta slice a piece off h/, it (animate)

Paired with: biitoozhan vti

biitoozhamaw vta slice a piece off (it) for h/

biitoozhan vti slice a piece off it

Paired with: biitoozh vta ; biitoozhwi vta [NI]

biitoozhamaw vta slice a piece off (it) for h/
biitoozhwi vta [NI]

► biitoozh vta

biitwanagekobidoon vti2 peel a layer of bark off it

biitwaabaawadoon vti2 rinse it

Paired with: biitwaabaawazh vta

biitwaabaawazh vta rinse h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: biitwaabaawadoon vti2

biitwaabaawe vii it is rinsed

biitwegizhigewikomaan ni [BL] a filleting knife

biitwegizhwi vta [NI] cut the hide off h/ (animal), rough skin h/ (an animal)

biiwam vta eat h/ leaving crumbs

Paired with: biiwandan vti

biiwan vii it is a blizzard

biiwandan vti eat it leaving crumbs

Paired with: biiwam vta

(detransitive) biiwanjige vai s/he eats leaving crumbs
biiwanise vii

biiwanjigan ni crumb or scrap dropped from the mouth

biiwanjige vai s/he eats leaving crumbs

biiway ni an animal hair (of fur), a bristle; [plural] animal hair, fur

biiwaabik ni (a piece of) metal; iron

(verb of being) biiwaabikowan vii it is metal, of metal (verb of being) biiwaabikowi vai s/he is metal, of metal
biiwaabiko-adaawewigamig ni a hardware store

See also: biiwaabikwadaawewigamig ni

biiwaabiko-bakizhigan ni a wirecutter

biiwaabiko-giishkiboojiganens ni [BL] hacksaw

biiwaabiko-jiimaan ni an aluminum canoe

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.

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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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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.