Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

dibaazom vta talk about something to h/

(reciprocal) dibaazondiwag vai they talk about something with each other
dibaazondiwag vai they talk about something with each other

dibendamookaazo vai s/he acts as if s/he owns something

dibendan vti control, own it

Paired with: dibenim vta

(detransitive) dibenjige vai s/he controls, owns, rules something (detransitive) dibendaaso vai s/he owns for h/ self (verb of pretending) dibendamookaazo vai s/he acts as if s/he owns something (verb of undergoing) dibenjigaade vii it is controlled, owned, ruled (by someone), "they" control, own, rule it (verb of undergoing) dibenjigaazo vai
  1. s/he is controlled, owned, ruled (by someone), "they" control, own, rule h/
  2. s/he is a member
dibendaagozi vai
  1. s/he is controlled, is owned
  2. s/he belongs, is a member

Paired with: dibendaagwad vii

dibendaagwad vii
  1. it is controlled, is owned
  2. it belongs

Paired with: dibendaagozi vai

dibendaaso vai s/he owns for h/ self

dibenim vta control, own, rule h/

Paired with: dibendan vti

(reflexive) dibenindizo vai s/he is independent, is h/ own master
dibenindizo vai s/he is independent, is h/ own master

dibenjigaade vii it is controlled, owned, ruled (by someone), "they" control, own, rule it

dibenjigaazo vai
  1. s/he is controlled, owned, ruled (by someone), "they" control, own, rule h/
  2. s/he is a member

dibenjige vai s/he controls, owns, rules something

dibi adv dub I don't know where, I wonder where

dibi go adv dub anywhere; wherever

See also: dibi adv dub

dibi iidog adv dub I don't know where, I wonder where

See also: dibi adv dub

dibi- pv lex measure

dibi-gwaaba'igewinaaganens ni [BL] a measuring cup

dibi' vta keep up even with h/

dibik adv tmp night

dibikad vii it is night; it is dark (as at night)

dibikate vii it is dark inside (a room or house)

See also: gashkii-dibikate vii

dibikaabaminaagwad vii it is twilight

dibiki- pv lex dark, in the dark

dibiki-ayaa vai s/he is dark

dibiki-giizis na moon

dibikidaabii'iwe vai s/he drives at night

dibikong adv tmp last night

dibinawe adv man by h/self; inherently

dibishkam vai2 [N] s/he has a birthday

See also: dibishkaa vai [S]

dibishkamoo-nagamo' vta sing a birthday song to h/

dibishkaa vai [S] s/he has a birthday

See also: dibishkam vai2 [N]

dibishkoo adv man directly; equal; even; just like, seems like

dibishkoodagaam adv loc directly across the water

dibishkookamig adv loc opposite; right across

dibitwaa vai s/he keeps up, keeps even with someone

didibashkwemaginan vti roll it up as bark

didibaanowe vai s/he (an animal) has a curly tail

didibeyiigapidoon vti2 wrap and tie it in something (sheet-like)

Paired with: didibeyiigapizh vta

didibibide vii it rolls, goes around

Paired with: didibibizo vai

didibibizo vai s/he or it (animate) rolls

Paired with: didibibide vii

didibide vti rotate, roll it

Paired with: didibin vta

didibin vta roll it (animate) up

Paired with: didibide vti ; didibinan vti

didibinan vti roll it up

Paired with: didibin vta

didibininjiibizo vai s/he wears a ring

didibininjiibizon ni a ring
didibininjiibizon ni a ring

didibise-apabiwin ni a rocking chair

dikinaagan ni a cradle board

See also: adikinaagan ni [RL]

(verb of making) dikinaaganike vai s/he makes a cradleboard (verb of possession) odikinaagani vai s/he has a cradleboard, is in the cradleboard
dikinaaganike vai s/he makes a cradleboard

dikineyaab ni a cradle board wrapper

dimibiiyaa vii the slush is deep

dimii vii it is deep (of a body of water)

dino pron sim a certain kind or type of something [inanimate]; sort

dinowa pron sim a certain kind or type of something [inanimate]

dinowa pron sim a certain kind or type of being or of something [animate]

dinowaatig na kind of tree

dinowegin ni kind of cloth

dinowibag ni kind of leaf

dinowishib na kind of duck

dipaabaawadoon vti2 get it wet: moisten it, water it

Paired with: dipaabaawazh vta

dipaabaawanidizo vai s/he gets h/ self wet, wets h/ self

dipaabaawazh vta moisten h/, it (animate), get h/, it (animate) wet

Paired with: dipaabaawadoon vti2

(reflexive) dipaabaawanidizo vai s/he gets h/ self wet, wets h/ self
dipaabaawazo vai s/he gets h/self wet, soaked

dipaabaawe vai s/he or it (animate) is moist, is wet

Paired with: dipaabaawe vii

dipaabaawe vii it is moist, is wet

Paired with: dipaabaawe vai

dipaagone vai

dipiiwakamigaa vii it is damp ground

dipiiwam vta moisten, wet it (animate) in the mouth

dipiiwandan moisten, wet it in the mouth

dipiiwegad vii it (sheet-like) is moist, is damp

dipiiwibagaa vii there are wet leaves

dipiiwininjii vai h/ hand is wet

dipiiwiingwe vai s/he has a wet face

ditibaagiwebishkigan na [BL] a bicycle

ditibaagiwebishkige vai [BL] s/he pedals a bicycle

ditibi- pv lex go around, roll

ditibi-zhooshkwaada'aagan na a roller skate

ditibi-zhooshkwaada'e vai s/he roller-skates

ditibibide vii it rolls

Paired with: ditibibizo vai

ditibibizo vai s/he or it (animate) rolls

Paired with: ditibibide vii

ditibidaabaan na a wheeled vehicle for conveying things: a wagon, a truck, a cart, a wheelbarrow

ditibise vii it rolls, goes around

Paired with: ditibise vai

ditibise vai s/he rolls, goes around

Paired with: ditibise vii

ditibiweba' vta roll h/ using something forcefully

Paired with: ditibiweba'an vti

ditibiweba'an vti roll it using something forcefully

Paired with: ditibiweba' vta

ditibiwebishkan vti roll it with foot

Paired with: ditibiwebishkaw vta

(detransitive) ditibiwebishkige vai s/he rolls things by kicking, pedals (derived noun) ditibiwebishkigan na a bicycle
ditibiwebishkaw vta peddle h/ [bicycle]; roll h/ with foot or body

Paired with: ditibiwebishkan vti

ditibiwebishkigan na a bicycle

ditibiwebishkige vai s/he rolls things by kicking, pedals

ditisadowe vai s/he has thin fur

diindiisi na a blue jay

[
Cyanocitta cristata
]

diitiba' vta knock h/ down off something (using something)

Paired with: diitiba'an vti

diitiba'an vti knock it down off something (using something)

Paired with: diitiba' vta

diitibibide vii it rolls down off

Paired with: diitibibizo vai

diitibibidoon vti2 knock it down off something (with hands)

Paired with: diitibibizh vta

diitibibizh vta knock h/ down off something (with hands)

Paired with: diitibibidoon vti2

diitibibizo vai s/he or it (animate) rolls down off

Paired with: diitibibide vii

diitibishkan vti bump it down off something, knock it down off something (with foot or body)

Paired with: diitibishkaw vta

diitibishkaw vta bump h/ down off something, knock h/ down off something (with foot or body)

Paired with: diitibishkan vti

diitibiweba'an vti knock it down off something (using something forcefully)

diitibiwebaasin vii it is rolled down off something by the wind

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.

  • Audio recordings
  • Images
  • Video
  • Documents

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.