Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

giziibiiginige vai s/he washes something (by hand)

giziibiigininjii vai s/he washes h/ (own) hands

giziibiigininjiin vta wash h/ hands

giziibiigisaginige vai s/he washes the floor

See also: giziisaginige vai [BL]

giziibiigisaginige-giizhigad vii it is Saturday

See also: giziibiigisaginigewi-giizhigad vii [C]

giziibiigisaginigewi-giizhigad vii [C] it is Saturday

See also: giziibiigisaginige-giizhigad vii

giziibiigisaginigewinini na a sailor who washes the deck of the ship: a swabbie

giziibiigishtigwaane vai s/he washes h/ (own) hair

See also: giziibiigitigwaane vai [BL]

giziibiigitawage vai s/he washes h/ (own) ears

giziibiigitigwaane vai [BL] s/he washes h/ (own) hair

See also: giziibiigishtigwaane vai

giziibiigitigwaanen vta [BL] wash h/ hair

giziibiigizide vai s/he washes h/ (own) feet

giziibiigiziden vta wash h/ feet

giziibiigii vai s/he washes up

giziibiigii-makak ni [BL] a bathtub

giziibiigiingwe vai s/he washes h/ (own) face

giziibiigiingwewinaagan ni a wash basin

giziibiigiiwigamig ni a washroom, a shower room

gizhiibiingwe vai h/ face itches

giziibiiwinaagan ni a washbasin

giziibwewe vii it squeaks, creaks

Paired with: giziibwewe vai

giziibwewe vai s/he squeaks, creaks

Paired with: giziibwewe vii

giziibwewenaamo vai s/he squeaks when breathing, wheezes

giziibweweshkaa vii it squeaks in motion, creaks in motion

See also: giziibweweshkaa vai

giziibweweshkaa vai s/he squeaks in motion, creaks in motion

Paired with: giziibweweshkaa vii

giziibweweyaasin vii it creaks in the wind

Paired with: giziibweweyaashi vai

giziibweweyaashi vai s/he creaks in the wind

Paired with: giziibweweyaasin vii

gizhiidaabii'iwe vai s/he drives (a vehicle) fast

giziidoone' vta wipe h/ mouth

(reflexive) giziidoone'odizo vai s/he wipes h/ (own) mouth
giziidoone'igan ni a napkin

See also: giziidoone'on ni

giziidoone'o vai s/he wipes h/ (own) mouth

(derived noun) giziidoone'on ni a napkin
giziidoone'odizo vai s/he wipes h/ (own) mouth

giziidoone'on ni a napkin

See also: giziidoone'igan ni

gizhiigan nid the small of your back; (the upper part of) your rump, rear end

gizhiigaa vii it drips, leaks fast

Paired with: gizhiigaa vai

gizhiigaa vai it (animate) drips, leaks fast; it (animate) runs fast (as a tree, with sap)

Paired with: gizhiigaa vii

gizhiigi vai s/he grows fast

Paired with: gizhiigin vii

gizhiigide vii it (something sheet-like) heats up, is hot

gizhiigin vii it grows fast

Paired with: gizhiigi vai

gizhiigizan vti heat it (sheet-like)

gizii' vta wipe h/

Paired with: gizii'an vti

gizii'an vti wipe it

Paired with: gizii' vta

(detransitive) gizii'ige vai s/he wipes something
gizii'ige vai s/he wipes something

gizii'wi vta

► gizii' vta

giziijaane'o vai s/he wipes h/ (own) nose

giziijaane'on ni something to wipe your nose on: tissue

gizhiijiwan vii it flows fast

gizhiikaa vai s/he goes fast

gizhiikaabatoo vai s/he runs fast

gizhiikaakwazhiwe vai s/he paddles fast

gizhiikwazhiwe vai s/he paddles fast; s/he swim [as fish] fast

giziin vta wipe h/ (by hand)

Paired with: giziinan vti

giziinan vti wipe it (by hand)

Paired with: giziin vta

gizhiinaamo vai s/he breathes fast

giziindime'o vai s/he wipes h/ self after defecating

(derived noun) giziindime'on ni toilet tissue
giziindime'on ni toilet tissue

giziindime'wi vta [NI] wipe h/ after h/ defecates

giziindime'wi vta [NI]

► giziindime'wi vta [NI]

giziingwaagen vai + o wash your face with it

giziingwe vai s/he washes h/ face

giziingwe'o vai s/he wipes h/ (own) face (with something)

(derived noun) giziingwe'on na [N] a towel
giziingwe'onens na [N] a washcloth
(derived noun) giziingwe'on ni [S] a towel
giziingwe'onens ni [S] a washcloth
giziingwe'on ni [S] a towel

giziingwe'on na [N] a towel

See also: giziingwe'on ni [S]

giziingwe'onens na [N] a washcloth

See also: giziingwe'onens ni [S]

giziingwe'onens ni [S] a washcloth

See also: giziingwe'onens na [N]

giziininaagane vai [BL] s/he washs dishes

giziininaagane-giziibiiga'igan ni [BL] dish soap or detergent

giziininaaganewinaagan ni [BL] a dishpan; a kitchen sink

giziininjaagan ni a sink; a wash basin

giziininjii vai s/he wipes h/ (own) hands; s/he washes (own) h/ hands

giziininjii-giziibiiga'igan ni hand soap

giziininjiin vta wash h/ hand or hands; wipe h/ hand or hands

giziisaga'an vti mop it (a floor)

(detransitive) giziisaga'ige vai s/he mops the floor (derived noun) giziisaga'igan ni a mop
giziisaga'igan ni a mop

giziisaga'ige vai s/he mops the floor

giziisaginamaw vta wash the floor for h/; wipe the floor for h/

giziisaginan vti wash it (a floor); wipe it (a floor)

(detransitive) giziisaginige vai [BL] s/he wipes the floor; [BL] s/he washes the floor (benefactive) giziisaginamaw vta wipe the floor for h/; wash the floor for h/
giziisaginige vai [BL] s/he wipes the floor; [BL] s/he washes the floor

See also: giziibiigisaginige vai

giziisaginigewinaagan ni [BL] a mop pail (for scrubbing the floor)

gizhiise vii it flies fast

Paired with: gizhiise vai

gizhiise vai s/he flies fast

Paired with: gizhiise vii

giziisidoon vti2 wipe it against something

Paired with: giziishim vta

giziishim vta wipe it (animate) against something

Paired with: giziisidoon vti2

gizhiitigweyaa vii it is a fast river

gizhiiwe vai s/he speaks or sings loud, speaks or sings with a strong clear voice

gizhiiwegaasin vii it (sheet-like) flutters in the wind

gizhiiwewebide vii it make a loud noise speeding or operating

gizhiiwewebidoon vti2 turn it up so it is louder

gizhiiwewebiisaa vii the rain is loud

See also: gizhiiwewebiisaan vii [BL]

gizhiiwewebiisaan vii [BL] the rain is loud

See also: gizhiiwewebiisaa vii

gizhiiwewegamisin vii it makes a loud sound hitting the water

gizhiiwewejiwan vii the flow of water sounds loud; the loud sound of the rapids can be heard

gizhiiwewendan vti make a loud noise eating it

(detransitive) gizhiiwewenjige vai s/he makes a loud noise chewing or eating
gizhiiwewengwaamo vai s/he snores loudly

gizhiiwewenjige vai s/he makes a loud noise chewing or eating

gizhiiweweyaandagaasin vii its boughs sound loud blowing in the wind

gizhiiweweyaashkaa vii the waves are loud

gizhiiwewidam vai2 s/he sounds loud, sounds loud and clear

gizhiiweyaadagaazii vai s/he wades making loud noise

giziiyaabaawadoon vti2 rinse it; wash it down

Paired with: giziiyaabaawazh vta

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.

  • Audio recordings
  • Images
  • Video
  • Documents

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.