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bagwegizhan vti cut a hole in it (sheet-like)

Paired with: bagwegizh vta ; bagwegizhwi vta [NI]

bagwegizi vai s/he (something sheet-like) has a hole in h/

Paired with: bagwegad vii

bagwegizhwi vta [NI] cut a hole in it (animate; sheet-like)

Paired with: bagwegizhan vti See also: bagwegizh vta

bajiba'am vai2 s/he has h/ foot go through something

bajiba'ashkiiga'am vai2 s/he steps through the surface into the muskeg

bajiishka' vta pierce, prick h/ or it (animate) (using something); stick h/ (with something sharp), give h/ an injection / shot

Paired with: bajiishka'an vti

bajiishka'an vti pierce, prick it (using something)

(detransitive) bajiishka'ige vai sh/e pierces, pricks something
bajiishka'ige vai sh/e pierces, pricks something

bajiishka'ogaan ni a tipi, a lodge with a pointed top

bajiishkaa vii it is pointed

Paired with: bajiishkizi vai

bajiishkaabikad vii [MN] it is pointed (as something mineral)

Paired with: bajiishkaabikizi vai

bajiishkaabikizi vai s/he is pointed (as something mineral)

Paired with: bajiishkaabikad vii [MN]

bajiishkiboodoon vti2 saw, grind it to a point

Paired with: bajiishkiboozh vta

bajiishkiboozh vta saw, grind h/ to a point

Paired with: bajiishkiboodoon vti2

bajiishkidaamikane vai s/he has a pointed chin

bajiishkidooneni vai s/he puckers h/ lips

bajiishkiga' vta chop h/ pointed

Paired with: bajiishkiga'an vti

bajiishkiga'an vti chop it pointed

Paired with: bajiishkiga' vta

bajiishkiganzhii vai s/he has pointed nails or claws or talons

bajiishkijaane vai s/he has a pointed nose

bajiishkikodan vti carve it so it is pointed, sharpen it to a point (with a blade)

Paired with: bajiishkikozh vta

bajiishkikode vii it is carved pointed, is sharpened to a point

Paired with: bajiishkikozo vai

bajiishkikozh vta carve h/ so s/he is pointed, sharpen h/ to a point (with a blade)

Paired with: bajiishkikodan vti

bajiishkikozo vai it (animate) is carved pointed, is sharpened to a point

Paired with: bajiishkikode vii

bajiishkizh vta cut it (animate) to a point

Paired with: bajiishkizhan vti

bajiishkizhan vti cut it (sheet-like) pointed

Paired with: bajiishkizh vta

bajiishkizi vai it (animate) is pointed

Paired with: bajiishkaa vii

bakada' vta break it (animate; string-like) (using a stick or tool); snap it (animate; string-like) (using a stick or tool)

Paired with: bakada'an vti

bakada'an vti snap it (string-like) off (using a stick or tool); break it (string-like) off or through (using a stick or tool)

Paired with: bakada' vta

bakade vai
  1. s/he is hungry
  2. s/he is thin, is skinny [N]

(causative) bakade' vta make h/ hungry; starve h/ (verb of pretending) bakadekaazo vai s/he pretends to be hungry
bakade' vta make h/ hungry; starve h/

bakadekaazo vai s/he pretends to be hungry

bakaganaam vta hit and break it (animate; string-like)

Paired with: bakaganaandan vti

bakaganaandan vti hit and break it (string-like)

Paired with: bakaganaam vta

baka' vta break or part it (animate; string-like) (using something)

Paired with: baka'an vti

baka'an vti break or part it (string-like) (using something)

Paired with: baka' vta

bakam vta bite it (animate; string-like) through or off

Paired with: bakandan vti

(reflexive) bakandizo vai s/he chews h/self free of a harness or leash
bakandan vti bite it (string-like) through or off

Paired with: bakam vta

bakandizo vai s/he chews h/self free of a harness or leash

bakazhaawe vai s/he cleans fish

bakaaboode vii it (string-like) breaks in current

bakaagime vai s/he breaks the webbing of h/ snowshoe or snowshoes

See also: bookwaagime vai

bakaakadozo vai (of a person) s/he is thin, is skinny

bakaakide vii it (string-like) is broken or parted (by heat or fire)

Paired with: bakaakizo vai

bakaakizo vai it (animate; string-like) is broken or parted (by heat or fire)

Paired with: bakaakide vii

bakaan adv man different

bakaanad vii it is different

Paired with: bakaanizi vai

bakaanige vai she is secluded at first menses

bakaanimaagozi vai s/he smells different

Paired with: bakaanimaagwad vii

bakaanimaagwad vii it smells different

Paired with: bakaanimaagozi vai

bakaaninaagozi vai s/he looks different

Paired with: bakaaninaagwad vii

bakaaninaagwad vii it looks different

Paired with: bakaaninaagozi vai

bakaanipogozi vai s/he tastes different

Paired with: bakaanipogwad vii

bakaanipogwad vii it tastes different

Paired with: bakaanipogozi vai

bakaanitaagozi vai s/he sounds different

Paired with: bakaanitaagwad vii

bakaanitaagwad vii it sounds different

Paired with: bakaanitaagozi vai

bakaanizi vai s/he or it (animate) is different

Paired with: bakaanad vii

bakaasin vii it (string-like) breaks or snaps in the wind

Paired with: bakaashi vai

bakaashi vai it (animate; string-like) breaks or snaps in the wind

Paired with: bakaasin vii

bake vai s/he goes off to the side

bakebatoo vai s/he runs off to the side, off the main path

bakebide vii it drives off to the side; it speeds, drives, falls off to the side, off the main path

Paired with: bakebizo vai

bakebizo vai s/he speeds, drives, falls off to the side, off the main path, off the road

Paired with: bakebide vii

bakedaabii vai s/he drags or pulls a load off to the the side, off the main path

bakediyeni vai s/he moves h/ butt to the side

bakegamaa vii lake goes off from another

bakegaabawi vai s/he stands or steps off to the the side, off the main path

bakegwaashkwani vai s/he jumps off to the side, off the main path

bake'adoo vai s/he goes off the main path

bake'amii vai s/he steps to the side (off the main way)

bakejiwan vii it flows off to the side

bakekazh vta bypass h/

(detransitive) bakekazhiwe vai s/he bypasses people
bakekazhiwe vai s/he bypasses people

bakekwazhiwe vai s/he paddles off to the side

bakemon vii it (road or trail) leads off to the side, is a side road

bakenizhikaw vta [N] chase h/ off the main path or road

bakesaginigaade vii

baketigweyaa vii it (a river) goes off to the side, is a tributary

bakewebin vta throw h/ off to the side, off the main path

Paired with: bakewebinan vti

bakewebinan vti throw it off to the side, off the main path

Paired with: bakewebin vta

bakewebishkan vti kick it off to the side, off the main path

Paired with: bakewebishkaw vta

bakewebishkaw vta kick h/ off to the side, off the main path

Paired with: bakewebishkan vti

bakewin vta
  1. separate, part from h/
  2. divorce h/

(reciprocal) bakewinidiwag vai [BL]
  1. they separate, part from each other
  2. they divorce
(derived noun) bakewinidiwin ni divorce
bakewinidiwag vai [BL]
  1. they separate, part from each other
  2. they divorce

bakewinidiwin ni divorce

bakeyaaboono vai s/he slides off to the side (on a moving medium such as water in the rapids, snow)

bakibidoon vti2 break or snap it (string-like) (with hands)

Paired with: bakibizh vta

bakibizh vta break or snap it (animate; string-like) (with hands)

Paired with: bakibidoon vti2

bakiboode vii it (string-like) breaks or parts (from abrasion)

Paired with: bakiboozo vai

bakiboozo vai it (animate; string-like) breaks or parts (from abrasion)

Paired with: bakiboode vii

bakidagoode vii it hangs across the top of something

Paired with: bakidagoojin vai

bakidagoodoon vti2 hang it across the top of something

Paired with: bakidagoozh vta

bakidagoojin vai it (animate) hangs across the top of something

Paired with: bakidagoode vii

bakidagoozh vta hang it (animate) across the top of something

Paired with: bakidagoodoon vti2

bakidaabiigisidoon vti2 lay it (string-like) across the top of something

Paired with: bakidaabiigishim vta

bakidaabiigisin vii it (string-like) lies draped over something

Paired with: bakidaabiigishin vai

bakidaabiigishim vta lay it (animate; string-like) across the top of something

Paired with: bakidaabiigisidoon vti2

bakidaabiigishin vai it (animate; string-like) lies draped over something

Paired with: bakidaabiigisin vii

bakidisiizh vta cut h/ umbilcal cord

bakidisiizhige vai s/he cuts the umbilical cord

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.