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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

bookwaabikiboozh vta break it (animate; [mineral/metal) by filing or sawing

Paired with: bookwaabikiboodoon vti2

bookwaagime vai s/he breaks the frame of h/ snowshoe or snowshoes

bookwaanowebizh vta snap off h/ tail

bookwaasin vii it breaks in two in the wind

Paired with: bookwaashi vai

bookwaashi vai s/he breaks in two in the wind

Paired with: bookwaasin vii

bookwaawigane vai s/he has a broken back, breaks h/ back, is hunchbacked

bookwaawiganebizh vta break h/ back (with hands)

bookwaawiganeshin vai s/he falls and break h/ back

boome vai s/he recovers (from fright), regains composure, is relieved (from worry)

boona'amaazo vai s/he stops singing

boonakadoon vti2 anchor it

(derived noun) boonakajigan ni an anchor
boonakajigan ni an anchor

boonam vai2 s/he lays an egg

boonaabam vta stop looking at h/

Paired with: boonaabandan vti

boonaabandan vti stop looking at it

Paired with: boonaabam vta

boonaabi vai s/he stops looking

boonaanagidoon vai [S] s/he quits talking, stops talking

See also: boonaanagidoone vai [N]

boonaanagidoone vai [N] s/he quits talking, stops talking

See also: boonaanagidoon vai [S]

boonaanimad vii the wind lets up, dies down

boonaapi vai s/he stops laughing

boonendam vai2 s/he gives up, ignores something, quits thinking about something

boonendan vti forget, ignore it

Paired with: boonenim vta

boonenim vta forget, ignore h/; quit thinking or worrying about h/

Paired with: boonendan vti

(reciprocal) boonenindiwag vai they quit thinking or worrying about each other
boonenindiwag vai they quit thinking or worrying about each other

boonibiisaa vii it stops raining, the rain stops

boonichigaade vii it is left alone (by someone), "they" leave it alone, quit it

Paired with: boonichigaazo vai

boonichigaazo vai s/he is left alone (by someone), "they" leave h/ alone, quit h/

Paired with: boonichigaade vii

boonichige vai s/he quits doing things, leaves things alone

boonigi vai s/he stops growing, quits growing

boonigidaazo vai s/he stops being angry, quits being angry

boonigin vii it stops growing, quits growing

Paired with: boonigi vai

booni' vta leave h/ alone; quit h/

Paired with: boonitoon vti2

(reciprocal) booni'idiwag vai they leave each other alone (detransitive) booni'iwe vai s/he leaves people alone
booni'idiwag vai they leave each other alone

booni'iwe vai s/he leaves people alone

boonim vta avoid talking to h/; stop talking to h/

(reciprocal) boonindiwag vai they stop talking to each other
boonindiwag vai they stop talking to each other

boonipon vii it stops snowing, the snow stops

boonitan vti quit listening to it

Paired with: boonitaw vta

boonitaw vta quit listening to h/

Paired with: boonitan vti

boonitoon vti2 leave it alone; quit it

Paired with: booni' vta

(detransitive) boonichige vai s/he quits doing things, leaves things alone (verb of undergoing) boonichigaade vii it is left alone (by someone), "they" leave it alone, quit it (verb of undergoing) boonichigaazo vai s/he is left alone (by someone), "they" leave h/ alone, quit h/
boonii vai s/he alights, lands (from flight)

Paired with: booniimagad vii

booniimagad vii it lands (from flight)

Paired with: boonii vai

boonwewidam vai2 s/he quits sounding, quits calling

boopoogidi vai s/he farts off and on

boopoogidingwaamo vai s/he farts repeatedly in h/ sleep

boopookojiibizh vta break, tear h/ or it (animate; a body or something soft or something bag-like) in two repeatedly

boopookoninjiishin vai s/he falls and breaks h/ hands

booshke giin pc disc it's up to you; it's your decision

bootaagan na [ML] a mortar for wild rice

See also: bootaagan ni [LL]

bootaagan ni [LL] a mortar for wild rice

See also: bootaagan na [ML]

bootaaganaak ni a pestle

bootaaganike vai s/he makes a mortar for rice

bootaagaadan vti stamp it in a mortar

bootaage vai s/he stamps things in a mortar (e.g., wild rice)

(applicative) bootaagaadan vti stamp it in a mortar (derived noun) bootaagan na [ML] a mortar for wild rice (verb of making) bootaaganike vai s/he makes a mortar for rice
boozazhaan ni [BL] skin lotion

boozazhe vai [BL] s/he oils or greases h/ skin, applies lotion

boozaa vii [N] it is greasy, is oily

boozaabikad vii [BL] it (mineral) is greasy, is greased

Paired with: boozaabikizi vai [BL]

boozaabikin vta grease, oil, lubricate h/ (mineral/metal)

Paired with: boozaabikinan vti

boozaabikinan vti grease, oil, lubricate it (mineral)

Paired with: boozaabikin vta

(derived noun) boozaabikinigan ni [BL] lubricant for a machine or vehicle; gun oil
boozaabikinigan ni [BL] gun oil; lubricant for a machine or vehicle

boozaabikinigaagen vai + o use it to grease or lubricate something mineral (such as a pan or a machine)

boozaabikizi vai [BL] s/he (mineral) is greasy, is greased

Paired with: boozaabikad vii [BL]

boozaagamin vii it (a liquid) is greasy

boozaangwaam vai [ML] s/he is sound asleep, sleeps deeply

See also: boozaangwaami vai [RL] ; boozaangwaamo vai

boozaangwaami vai [RL] s/he is sound asleep, sleeps deeply

See also: boozaangwaam vai [ML] ; boozaangwaamo vai

boozaangwaamo vai s/he is sound asleep, sleeps deeply

See also: boozaangwaam vai [ML] ; boozaangwaami vai [RL]

boozi vai s/he gets in or on (a vehicle or a boat), boards, gets aboard, embarks

(causative) boozi' vta load h/ on (a vehicle or boat), give a ride to h/ (causative) boozitoon vti2 load it on (as cargo on a vehicle or boat); upload it (on a computer)
(detransitive) boozitaaso vai s/he loads cargo (benefactive) boozitaw vta load (it) with cargo for h/ (benefactive) boozitamaw vta load (it) with cargo for h/ (verb of undergoing) boozichigaazo vai s/he is loaded on (by someone), "they" load h/ on; s/he or it (animate) is put on board (by someone), "they" put h/ or it (animate) on board (verb of undergoing) boozichigaade vii it is loaded on (by someone), "they" load it on; it is put on board (by someone), "they" put in on board
(applicative) boozinodaw vta catch a ride with h/
boozibagizo vai s/he jumps aboard

booziba'idiwag vai they scramble to get aboard

boozibidoon vti2 pull it aboard

Paired with: boozibizh vta

boozibizh vta pull h/ aboard

Paired with: boozibidoon vti2

boozichigaade vii it is put on board (by someone), "they" put in on board; it is loaded on (by someone), "they" load it on

boozichigaazo vai s/he is loaded on (by someone), "they" load h/ on; s/he or it (animate) is put on board (by someone), "they" put h/ or it (animate) on board

boozidaabaadan vti drag it aboard

Paired with: boozidaabaazh vta

boozidaabaazh vta drag h/, it (animate) aboard

Paired with: boozidaabaadan vti

booziginan vti [BL] grease, oil it [wood]

boozigwaashkwani vai s/he jumps in or on (a vehicle or boat, jumps aboard

boozi' vta load h/ on (a vehicle or boat), give a ride to h/

Paired with: boozitoon vti2

boozikinaagan ni a bowl

boozin vta [BL] annoint h/; grease, lubricate h/ (by hand)

Paired with: boozinan vti [BL]

boozinan vti [BL] annoint it; grease, lubricate it (by hand)

Paired with: boozin vta [BL]

boozinaazha' vta tell h/ to get in or on (a vehicle or boat); tell h/ to go aboard

boozininjaagen vai + o use (it) to grease you hand or hands

boozininjaan ni [BL] hand lotion

boozininjii vai [BL] h/ hand is greasy, hands are greasy

boozinodaw vta catch a ride with h/

boozitamaw vta load (it) with cargo for h/

See also: boozitaw vta

boozitaw vta load (it) with cargo for h/

See also: boozitamaw vta

boozitaaso vai s/he loads cargo

boozitoon vti2 load it on (as cargo on a vehicle or boat); upload it (on a computer)

Paired with: boozi' vta

(benefactive) boozitamaw vta load (it) with cargo for h/ (verb of undergoing) boozichigaade vii it is loaded on (by someone), "they" load it on; it is put on board (by someone), "they" put in on board (verb of undergoing) boozichigaazo vai s/he is loaded on (by someone), "they" load h/ on; s/he or it (animate) is put on board (by someone), "they" put h/ or it (animate) on board
boozhoo pc interj greetings!; hello!

boozhoo' vta say hello to h/; send h/ a greeting

boozooneweba'wi vta knock h/ into the boat (using something),

boozwebin vta throw h/ aboard

Paired with: boozwebinan vti

boozwebinan vti throw it aboard

Paired with: boozwebin vta

(detransitive) boozwebinige vai s/he throws things aboard
boozwebinige vai s/he throws things aboard

bwaa- pv tns not able to; not before

bwaakadinigaazod na-v a doughnut

bwaam vta be refused by h/ when asking h/ to do something, fail to persuade h/ to do something

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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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.