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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

gemaa gaye adv man or maybe

genapii adv tmp finally

geniin pron per I too; me too; as for me

See also: gaye niin pron per

geniinawind pron per as for us; us too; we too

See also: gaye niinawind pron per

genwaabiigigwed na-v a giraffe

genwaakwak apabiwin ni-v a couch

geshawapide vii

Paired with: geshawapizo vai

geshawapidoon vti2 tie it loosely

Paired with: geshawapizh vta

geshawapizh vta tie h/ loosely

Paired with: geshawapidoon vti2

geshawapizo vai

Paired with: geshawapide vii

geshawigaabawi vai s/he stands limp

geshawise vai s/he suddenly comes loose

Paired with: geshawise vii

geshawise vii

Paired with: geshawise vai

geshawisidoon vti2 put it to so it is loose

Paired with: geshawishim vta

geshawisin vii it is loose, fit loosely

Paired with: geshawishin vai

geshawishim vta put h/ so h/ is loose

Paired with: geshawisidoon vti2

geshawishin vai s/he is loose, fits loosely

Paired with: geshawisin vii

geshawishkan vti fit it loosely

Paired with: geshawishkaw vta

geshawishkaw vta fit h/ loosely

Paired with: geshawishkan vti

gete- pv lex old; old-time

gete-anishinaabe na an Indian of long ago; a person of long ago; an elder

gete-aya'aa na someone old

gete-aya'ii ni something old

gete-ayi'ii ni something old

gete-ozhibii'igan ni the old testament of the bible

getenaagozi vai s/he [an animate thing] looks old, appears old

Paired with: getenaagwad vii

getenaagwad vii it looks old, appears old

Paired with: getenaagozi vai

geteyaajimo vai s/he tells stories about the old times

geteyaajimotaw vta tell stories about the old times to h/

gewiin pron per as for her; as for him; he too; her too; him too; she too

See also: gaye wiin pron per

gewiinawaa pron per as for them; them too; they too

See also: gaye wiinawaa pron per

geyaabi adv tmp still, yet

See also: gaawiin geyaabi adv tmp ; giiyaabi adv tmp [RL]

gezhidine adv tmp right away

gezika adv tmp suddenly

gezikawaabam vta catch sight of h/, glance at h/

Paired with: gezikawaabandan vti

gezikawaabandan vti catch sight of it, glance at it

Paired with: gezikawaabam vta

gezikwendam vai2 s/he barely remembers

gezikwendan vti barely remember it

Paired with: gezikwenim vta

gezikwenim vta barely remember h/

Paired with: gezikwendan vti

gezhishawikonaye vai s/he wears loose clothes

gi= pf you [the one or ones spoken to; the second person]; your [the one or ones spoken to; the second person]

gibabi vai s/he sits blocking the way

gibadoonh na a button

gibagoode vii it hangs covering or blocking

gibagoodoon vti2 hang it blocking

Paired with: gibagoozh vta

gibagoojigan ni a cloth partition

gibagoozh vta hang h/ blocking

Paired with: gibagoodoon vti2

giba' vta stop h/ up; plug, block h/

Paired with: giba'an vti

giba'an vti stop it up; plug, block, dam it

Paired with: giba' vta

(detransitive) giba'ige vai s/he stops things up; plugs, blocks, dams things (verb of undergoing) giba'igaade vii it is stopped up, plugged, blocked (by someone), "they" stop it up, plug, block it (verb of undergoing) giba'igaazo vai s/he is stopped up, plugged, blocked (by someone), "they" stop up, plug, block h/ (derived noun) giba'igan ni something that blocks or plugs: a plug, a stopper, a dam
giba'aagone vai s/he is blocked by the snow

giba'igan ni something that blocks or plugs: a plug, a stopper, a dam

giba'igaade vii it is stopped up, plugged, blocked (by someone), "they" stop it up, plug, block it

giba'igaazo vai s/he is stopped up, plugged, blocked (by someone), "they" stop up, plug, block h/

giba'ige vai s/he stops things up; plugs, blocks, dams things

giba'oge vai s/he chinks a dwelling (by filling gaps between logs or sticks with moss or mud)

giba'on ni diaphragm

giba'wi vta [NI]

► giba' vta

gibaabaa nad your father

See also: gidede nad

gibaabaayinaan nad our father = grandfather

gibaabi vai h/ eye is blocked (so s/he can see out)

gibaabika'an vti close the damper on it

gibaabikibidoon vti2 latch it

gibaabikinan vti close the damper on it; close it (mineral/metal)(by hand), lock it by turning a bolt or latching it

(derived noun) gibaabikinigan ni stove damper
gibaabikinigan ni stove damper

gibaabikishkoode vii it is blocked by rocks

gibaabin vta cover h/ eyes (with the hand)

(reflexive) gibaabinidizo vai s/he covers h/ own eyes (with the hand)
gibaabinidizo vai s/he covers h/ own eyes (with the hand)

gibaabishkaw= vta [inverse] h/ eye is blocked by it or it (animate)

gibaabogo vai it (animate) drifts and dams up the river (e.g., ice)

gibaabowe' vta put a lid on h/

Paired with: gibaabowe'an vti

gibaabowe'an vti plug or cover it (liquid or something that holds a liquid), put a lid on it

Paired with: gibaabowe' vta

(detransitive) gibaabowe'ige vai s/he puts a lid on a pot (derived noun) gibaabowe'igan ni a lid or cover over a container with liquid in it: a pot lid, a jar lid (verb of undergoing) gibaabowe'igaade vii it has a lid on it, "they" put a lid on it (verb of undergoing) gibaabowe'igaazo vai it (animate) has a lid on it, "they" put a lid on it (animate)
gibaabowe'igan ni a lid or cover over a container with liquid in it: a pot lid, a jar lid

gibaabowe'igaade vii it has a lid on it, "they" put a lid on it

gibaabowe'igaazo vai it (animate) has a lid on it, "they" put a lid on it (animate)

gibaabowe'ige vai s/he puts a lid on a pot

gibaakobidoon vti2
  1. pull it shut (as something stick- or wood-like)
  2. can it

Paired with: gibaakobizh vta

(derived noun) gibaakobijigan ni canned goods
gibaakobijigan ni canned goods

gibaakobizh vta can h/; pull h/ shut

Paired with: gibaakobidoon vti2

gibaakon vta block h/; close h/; lock h/ out

gibaakoshkoode vii it (log) fell and blocks the way

gibaakowebinan vti slam it shut (as something stick- or wood-like; e.g. a door)

gibaakwadin vii it freezes shut, is frozen shut

Paired with: gibaakwaji vai

gibaakwa' vta
  1. shut, block h/ (as or as with something stick- or wood-like)
  2. jail, imprison h/
  3. put h/ on lockdown or quarantine

Paired with: gibaakwa'an vti

gibaakwa'an vti shut, block, dam it (as or as with something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: gibaakwa' vta

(detransitive) gibaakwa'ige vai s/he shuts, blocks, dams something (as or as with something stick- or wood-like) (verb of undergoing) gibaakwa'igaade vii it is shut, blocked, dammed (as or as with something stick- or wood-like) (by someone), "they" shut, block, plug, dam it (verb of undergoing) gibaakwa'igaazo vai s/he is jailed, imprisoned (by someone), "they" jail, imprison h/ (derived noun) gibaakwa'igan ni something stick-like that shuts off or blocks: a barricade, a dam, a gate
gibaakwa'igan ni something stick-like that shuts off or blocks: a barricade, a dam, a gate

gibaakwa'igaade vii it is shut, blocked, dammed (as or as with something stick- or wood-like) (by someone), "they" shut, block, plug, dam it

gibaakwa'igaazo vai s/he is jailed, imprisoned (by someone), "they" jail, imprison h/

gibaakwa'ige vai s/he shuts, blocks, dams something (as or as with something stick- or wood-like)

gibaakwa'odiiwigamig ni a jail, a prison

gibaakwaji vai s/he freezes shut, is frozen shut

Paired with: gibaakwadin vii

gibaakwaasin vii it (something stick-like or of wood) is blown shut

gibibagizo vai s/he jumps in the way, moves quickly in the way

gibichiba'idiwag vai

gibichibatoo vai s/he stops running

gibichibizo vai s/he stops driving; s/he stops off operating or running

gibichibiisaa vii the rain lets up

gibichigaabawi vai s/he stops and stands, stops walking

gibichigi vai s/he stops growing

gibichigin vii it stops growing

Paired with: gibichigi vai

gibichinizha'ige vai

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.