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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

gitaamika'an vti anchor it

gitaamika'igan ni an anchor

gitaamika'ige vai s/he anchors a boat, sets anchor

gitaamikishkoodoon vti2 anchor it down with weight

gitenim vta think highly of h/, respect h/

gitigaadan vti plant it

Paired with: gitigaazh vta

gitigaade vii h/ is planted

Paired with: gitigaazo vai

gitigaan ni a field, a garden, a farm

gitigaanens ni a vegetable

gitigaanensi-naboob ni vegetable soup

gitigaazh vta plant h/

Paired with: gitigaadan vti

gitigaazo vai h/ is planted

Paired with: gitigaade vii

gitige vai s/he plants, gardens, farms

(applicative) gitigaadan vti plant it (applicative) gitigaazh vta plant h/ (derived noun) gitigaan ni a field, a garden, a farm gitigaanens ni a vegetable
gitigewigamig ni a barn; a farm building

gitigewikwe na a farmer (female)

(verb of being) gitigewikwewi vai she is a farmer
gitigewikwewi vai she is a farmer

gitigewinini na a farmer

(verb of being) gitigewininiiwi vai he is a farmer
gitigewininiiwi vai he is a farmer

gitigwaan nid [BL] your head

gitimi vai s/he is lazy, is shiftless, is incompetent

(verb of addiction) gitimishki vai s/he is habitually lazy, is a lazybones
gitimishki vai s/he is habitually lazy, is a lazybones

gitizi vai s/he is elderly, is old, is aged

gitizii-diba'amaagoowin ni old-age pension, social security pension

gitwen adv man do something against one's will or better judgement

giwiiw nad your wife

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

gizhakone vii it has a hot flame, is a hot flame

gizhanaamo vai s/he has hot breath, fevered breath

gizhaabasan vti cook it by steaming; microwave it

gizhaabate vii it is a hot draft, smoke, or vapor

gizhaabate-gizhaabikizigan ni a microwave oven

gizhaabateyaabikizigan ni a microwave oven

gizhaabatezan vti heat it in the microwave

gizhaabatezigan ni [BL] a microwave oven

gizhaabikad vii

Paired with: gizhaabikizi vai

gizhaabikide vii it (mineral/metal) heats up, is hot

Paired with: gizhaabikizo vai

gizhaabikiz vta heat h/ (as something mineral)

gizhaabikizan vti heat it (as something mineral)

Paired with: gizhaabikiz vta

(detransitive) gizhaabikizige vai s/he heats things (as something mineral) (derived noun) gizhaabikizigan ni a stove
gizhaabikizi vai s/he is hot (mineral)

Paired with: gizhaabikad vii

gizhaabikizigan ni a stove

gizhaabikizige vai s/he heats things (as something mineral)

gizhaabikizo vai s/he (mineral/metal) heats up, is hot

Paired with: gizhaabikide vii

gizhaabikizwi vta [BL]

► gizhaabikiz vta

gizhaadan vti guard, watch over it

Paired with: gizhaazh vta

(detransitive) gizhaadige vai s/he guards a place, watches over a house
gizhaadaawaso vai s/he babysits

gizhaadige vai s/he guards a place, watches over a house

gizhaadigewinini na [BL] a game warden, a conservation officer; MNR: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

gizhaagamide vii it (a liquid) heats up, is hot

gizhaagamide-nibi ni hot water

gizhaagamidewimoodaabik ni a hot-water bottle

gizhaagamin vii it (a liquid) heats up, is hot

gizhaagamizamaw vta heat (it) (a liquid) for h/

gizhaagamizamaazo vai s/he heats (it) (a liquid) for h/ self

gizhaagamizan vti heat it (a liquid)

(detransitive) gizhaagamizige vai s/he heats things (as a liquid) (benefactive) gizhaagamizamaw vta heat (it) (a liquid) for h/ (reflexive) gizhaagamizamaazo vai s/he heats (it) (a liquid) for h/ self
gizhaagamizige vai s/he heats things (as a liquid)

gizhaagamizigewakik na a tea kettle

gizhaakiganezo vai s/he warms h/ chest

gizhaanimad vii it is a hot wind

gizhaasige vai it (animate; the sun) shines hot

gizhaaso vai s/he is very hot, is overheated (from the sun)

Paired with: gizhaate vii

gizhaate vii it is hot (weather), is hot and sunny

(derived noun) gizhaatewin ni heat (weather)
gizhaatewin ni heat (weather)

gizhaawangide vii it is hot sand

gizhaawaso vai s/he protects h/ young

gizhaawenim vta be jealous of h/

gizhaawenjige vai s/he is jealous of things

gizhaazh vta guard, watch over h/

Paired with: gizhaadan vti

gizhe-manidoo na God, the Creator

(verb of being) gizhe-manidoowi vai s/he is god
gizhe-manidoowi vai s/he is god

gizhebaa-wiisini vai [LLC] s/he eats breakfast

See also: gigizhebaa-wiisini vai

gizhenaabe na a middle-aged man

gizhewaadizi vai s/he is kind, is generous

(derived noun) gizhewaadiziwin ni kindness, lovingkindness, unconditional love
gizhewaadiziwin ni kindness, lovingkindness, unconditional love

gizhibaabatoo vai s/he runs around in a tight circle

gizhibaabatwaadan vti run around it

gizhibaabide vii it speeds or drives around in a circle: spins, whirls, revolves

Paired with: gizhibaabizo vai

gizhibaabise vii it spins, whirls, revolves (by itself)

Paired with: gizhibaabise vai

gizhibaabise vai s/he spins, whirls, revolves (by itself)

Paired with: gizhibaabise vii

gizhibaabizo vai s/he or it (animate) speeds or drives around in a circle: spins, whirls, revolves

Paired with: gizhibaabide vii

gizhibaagaabawi vai s/he spins around while standing, spins around stumbling

gizhibaajiwan vii water spins, whirls (as in a whirlpool)

gizhibaakwazhiwe vai s/he paddles around in a tight circle

gizhibaanikebani'o vai [BL] s/he twirls h/ arm or arms fast

gizhibaanikeni vai s/he twirls h/ arm or arms

gizhibaashimo vai s/he dances in a tight circle, spins dancing

gizhibaashimotan vti dance around it

Paired with: gizhibaashimotaw vta

gizhibaashimotaw vta dance around h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: gizhibaashimotan vti

gizhibaashkaa vai s/he or it (animate) turns around in circle, rotates

Paired with: gizhibaashkaa vii

gizhibaashkaa vii it turns around in a circle, rotates

Paired with: gizhibaashkaa vai

gizhibaawebin vta spin, whirl, crank h/ forcefully

Paired with: gizhibaawebinan vti

gizhibaawebinan vti spin, whirl, crank it forcefully

Paired with: gizhibaawebin vta

(detransitive) gizhibaawebinige vai s/he spins, whirls, cranks something (verb of undergoing) gizhibaawebinigaade vii it is spun, whirled, cranked (by someone) (derived noun) gizhibaawebinigan ni a crank
gizhibaawebinigan ni a crank

gizhibaawebinigani-gashkigwaasonaabik ni [BL] a hand-cranked sewing machine

gizhibaawebinigaade vii it is spun, whirled, cranked (by someone)

gizhibaawebinige vai s/he spins, whirls, cranks something

gizhibaayaabiigiwebishkigani-gashkigwaasonaabik ni [BL] a foot-treadle sewing machine

gizhibaayaaboode vii it spins in the current or eddy

Paired with: gizhibaayaaboozo vai

gizhibaayaaboodoon vti2 spin it (as on some medium)

(derived noun) gizhibaayaaboojigan na a top [toy]
gizhibaayaaboojigan na a top [toy]

gizhibaayaaboojige vai s/he spins something, spins a top

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.