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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

gagaashiganzhii vai s/he has sharp nails or claws

gagaawinaweyendaagozi vai s/he is a stubborn pest, is hateful

gagijiganezh vta debone it (animate)

gagijiganezhwi vta [NI]

See also: gagijiganezh vta

gagizhiibidooskwan vai h/ elbows itch

gagizhiibigaade vai s/he has itchy legs

gagizhiibinike vai h/ arms itch

gagizhiibininjii vai h/ hands itch

gagizhiibitawage vai h/ ears itch

gagiiba'an vti seal it up

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

gagiibanagaskwe vai s/he stutters

gagiibaadad vii it is foolish, is silly

Paired with: gagiibaadizi vai

gagiibaadaanagidoon vai [S] s/he talks crazy, talks nonsense

See also: gagiibaadaanagidoone vai [N]

gagiibaadaanagidoone vai [N] s/he talks crazy, talks nonsense

gagiibaadaatese vii it is a funny movie, is a comedy

gagiibaadendam vai2 s/he thinks foolishly

gagiibaadendan vti think it foolish

Paired with: gagiibaadenim vta

gagiibaadendaagozi vai s/he is thought foolish, seems foolish

Paired with: gagiibaadendaagwad vii

gagiibaadendaagwad vii it is thought foolish, seems foolish

Paired with: gagiibaadendaagozi vai

gagiibaadenim vta think h/ foolish

Paired with: gagiibaadendan vti

gagiibaadizi vai s/he is foolish, is silly, is naughty

gagiibaajibii'ige vai s/he writes crazy things, writes nonsense

gagiibaajichige vai s/he does something foolish or silly

gagiibaajitaagozi vai s/he sounds foolish

gagiibaajitoon vti2 do it foolishly, do it (something foolish)

(detransitive) gagiibaajichige vai s/he does something foolish or silly
gagiibaakwa'an vti shut, block, dam each of it (as or as with something stick- or wood-like)

gagiibaazaabandam vai2 s/he has a funny dream

gagiibaazinam vai2 s/he visualizes crazy things, hallucinates

gagiibaazinaagozi vai s/he looks foolish, appears foolish

Paired with: gagiibaazinaagwad vii

gagiibaazinaagwad vii it looks foolish, appears foolish

Paired with: gagiibaazinaagozi vai

gagiibaazitan vti listen to it and perceive it to be foolish

Paired with: gagiibaazitaw vta

gagiibaazitaw vta listen to h/ and perceive h/ to be foolish

Paired with: gagiibaazitan vti

gagiibaazitaagozi vai s/he sounds foolish

Paired with: gagiibaazitaagwad vii

gagiibaazitaagwad vii it sounds foolish

Paired with: gagiibaazitaagozi vai

gagiibijaane vai s/he has a stuffed-up nose

gagiibishe vai s/he is deaf

gagiibishe'o vai s/he plugs or covers h/ ears

gagiibiingwe vai s/he is blind

gagiibwaabimo vai s/he has swollen eyes from crying

gagiichii vai s/he takes off h/ (own) shoes or moccasins

gagiigam vta pick out the best of it (animate) to eat

Paired with: gagiigandan vti

gagiigandan vti pick out the best of it to eat

Paired with: gagiigam vta

(detransitive) gagiiganjige vai s/he picks out the best things to eat
gagiiganjige vai s/he picks out the best things to eat

gagiigaabam vta pick out the best of it (animate) by sight

Paired with: gagiigaabandan vti

gagiigaabandan vti pick out the best of it by sight

Paired with: gagiigaabam vta

gagiigin vta select, pick, choose (the best) from them (animate)

Paired with: gagiiginan vti

gagiiginan vti select, pick, choose (the best) from it

Paired with: gagiigin vta

gagiigizh vta cut out the best part of it (animate)

Paired with: gagiigizhan vti

gagiigizhamaw vta cut out the best part (of it) for h/

gagiigizhan vti cut out the best part of it

Paired with: gagiigizh vta

(detransitive) gagiigizhige vai s/he cuts out the best part (benefactive) gagiigizhamaw vta cut out the best part (of it) for h/
gagiigizhige vai s/he cuts out the best part

gagiijaabi vai s/he has bulging eyes

gagiikim vta preach to, instruct h/

(reciprocal) gagiikindiwag vai they preach to each other
gagiikimaawaso vai s/he preaches to children

(derived noun) gagiikimaawasowin ni education by preaching and exhortation
gagiikimaawasowin ni education by preaching and exhortation

gagiikindiwag vai they preach to each other

gagiikwe vai s/he preaches

(derived noun) gagiikwewin ni preaching, exhortation, instruction
gagiikwe-mazina'igan ni a bible

gagiikwewikwe na a preacher, a minister (female)

gagiikwewin ni preaching, exhortation, instruction

gagiikwewinini na a preacher, a minister (male)

gagiinawishki vai s/he is a habitual liar

gagiipanowe vai s/he has chapped cheeks

gagiipidoon vai [S] s/he has chapped lips

See also: gagiipidoone vai [N]

gagiipidoone vai [N] s/he has chapped lips

See also: gagiipidoon vai [S]

gagiipinike vai s/he has chapped arms

gagiipininjii vai s/he has chapped hands

gagiipizi vai s/he is chapped

gagiipizide vai s/he has chapped feet

gagiipiingwe vai s/he has a chapped face

gagiizhibaabide vii it goes around and around: spins, whirls, revolves

gagiizhibaayaasin vii it keeps spinning in the air, whirling in the wind

Paired with: gagiizhibaayaashi vai

gagiizhibaayaashi vai s/he keeps spinning in the air, whirling in the wind

Paired with: gagiizhibaayaasin vii

gagwaadagendam vai2 s/he despairs, suffers, grieves

(derived noun) gagwaadagendamowin ni despair, suffering, grieving
gagwaadagendamowin ni despair, suffering, grieving

gagwaadagi' vta abuse h/; torture h/

Paired with: gagwaadagitoon vti2

gagwaadagitaw vta hear h/ and he sounds pitiful, listen with a heavy heart to h/

gagwaadagitoo vai s/he has a hard time, suffers

(derived noun) gagwaadagitoowin ni hard times, suffering
gagwaadagitoon vti2 abuse, damage, injure it

Paired with: gagwaadagi' vta

gagwaadagitoowin ni hard times, suffering

gagwaadagizi vai s/he has a hard time, suffers harship

gagwaanisagad vii it is terrible

Paired with: gagwaanisagizi vai

gagwaanisagakamig adv man such a terrible or tragic event

gagwaanisagakamigad vii it is a terrible event, something terrible happens

gagwaanisagaapine vai s/he is severely ill

gagwaanisagaatese vii it is a tragic movie

gagwaanisagendam vai2 s/he thinks things terrible, horrible, disgusting; s/he is horrified

gagwaanisagendan vti think it terrible, think it disgusting

Paired with: gagwaanisagenim vta

gagwaanisagendaagozi vai s/he is thought terrible, is thought disgusting

Paired with: gagwaanisagendaagwad vii

gagwaanisagendaagwad vii it is thought terrible, is thought disgusting

Paired with: gagwaanisagendaagozi vai

gagwaanisagenim vta think h/ terrible, think h/ disgusting

Paired with: gagwaanisagendan vti

gagwaanisagi' vta do something terrible to h/

(reciprocal) gagwaanisagi'idiwag vai they do something terrible to each other
gagwaanisagi'idiwag vai they do something terrible to each other

gagwaanisagimaagozi vai s/he smells terrible

Paired with: gagwaanisagimaagwad vii

gagwaanisagimaagwad vii it smells terrible

Paired with: gagwaanisagimaagozi vai

gagwaanisagimaam vta find s/he or it (animate) smells terrible

Paired with: gagwaanisagimaandan vti

gagwaanisagimaandan vti find it smells terrible

Paired with: gagwaanisagimaam vta

gagwaanisagimaasige vai s/he spreads a terrible smell by cooking or burning something

gagwaanisagimaaso vai s/he smells terrible cooking or burning

Paired with: gagwaanisagimaate 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.