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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

doodooshaabowan vii [BL] it is milky

doodooshaaboo ni milk

doodooshaaboo-bimide ni butter

doodooshaaboo-bimidewikaan ni margarine

dooka'an vti poke, jab, tap, nudge it (using something)

Paired with: dooka'wi vta [NI]

dooka'wi vta [NI] poke, jab, tap, nudge h/ or it (animate) (using something)

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

dookaabiigibidoon vti2 jerk, tug it (string-like) (with hands)

dookaabiigishkan vti jerk, tug it (string-like) (with foot or body)

dookaabiigiwebinan vti tug on it (as or on a line)

dookibidoon vti2 poke, jab it

Paired with: dookibizh vta

dookibizh vta poke, jab h/

Paired with: dookibidoon vti2

dookigwaadan vti poke it (with a stick)

dookin vta poke h/

Paired with: dookinan vti

dookinan vti poke it

Paired with: dookin vta

dookishkan vti poke, nudge, tap it (by foot or body)

Paired with: dookishkaw vta

dookishkaw vta poke, nudge, tap h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: dookishkan vti

dookiwebin vta poke h/ forcefully

Paired with: dookiwebinan vti

dookiwebinan vti poke it forcefully

Paired with: dookiwebin vta

doonoo na [ML] a bull

dooskaabi vai s/he opens h/ eye, squints

dooskaabishimo vai s/he dances with eyes partly open, peeks while dancing

(derived noun) dooskaabishimowin ni eyes open to peek dance
dooskaabishimowin ni eyes open to peek dance

dootooban vii it is springy ground

dootookaabiigibidoon vti2 jerk, tug it (string-like) repeatedly (with hands)

dootookaabiigishkan vti jerk, tug it (string-like) repeatedly (with foot or body)

dootookaabiigiwebinan vti tug and tug on it (as or on a line)

dwaabide vii it drives through ice

Paired with: dwaabizo vai

dwaabizo vai s/he drives through the ice

Paired with: dwaabide vii

dwaa'ibaan ni a hole made in the ice for water

dwaa'ibii vai s/he makes a water hole in the ice

(derived noun) dwaa'ibaan ni a hole made in the ice for water
dwaa'ige vai s/he makes a hole in the ice

dwaasin vii it goes through the ice

Paired with: dwaashin vai

dwaashin vai s/he falls through the ice; s/he or it (animate) goes through the ice

Paired with: dwaasin vii

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.