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bagwega'igan ni a paper punch; a hole punch (for paper, leather, etc.)

bagwegisin vii it (sheet-like) gets a hole in it (from hitting something)

bagwegishkaa vai it (animate; sheet-like) has a hole, gets a hole (in it)

Paired with: bagwegishkaa vii

bagwegishkaa vii it (sheet-like) has a hole, gets a hole (in it)

Paired with: bagwegishkaa vai

bagwegizh vta cut a hole in it (animate; sheet-like)

Paired with: bagwegizhan vti See also: bagwegizhwi vta [NI]

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

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

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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.