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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

gego ganage adv man don't in any way

gego mashi adv tmp don't ... yet

gego memwech adv pred you don't have to

See also: gaawiin memwech adv man ; memwech adv man

gego wiikaa adv tmp don't ever

gegoo pron indf something, anything

See also: gaawiin gegoo pron indf ; gakina gegoo pron indf

gekek na a hawk

gekinoo'amawind na-v a student

gekinoo'amaaged na-v a teacher

gemaa adv conj or, or maybe

See also: gemaa gaye adv man

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-aya'iiwan vii it is something really old

Paired with: gete-aya'iiwi vai

gete-aya'iiwi vai s/he or it (animate) is someone or something really old

Paired with: gete-aya'iiwan vii

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

gibaakosin vii it (stick-like) lies or falls blocking something; it lies or falls blocking something (stick-like)

gibaakoshin vai [C] [FF] [FL] it (animate; stick-like) lies or falls blocking something; s/he or it (animate) lies or falls blocking something (stick-like)

Paired with: gibaakosin vii

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/

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.