Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

giishkigaadezhwi vta [NI] cut off h/ leg

giishkigidigweshin vai s/he falls and cuts h/ knee

giishkigweganaam vta strike off h/ head

giishkigwezhwi vta [NI] cut h/ head off

giishkijii-magoodaas ni [BL] a skirt

giishkijii-midaas ni [BL] (a pair of) shorts

giishkijiin vta hug, embrace h/

(reciprocal) giishkijiinidiwag vai they hug, embrace
giishkijiinidiwag vai they hug, embrace

giishkijiiwagooday ni a skirt

giishkikaa vii it tears, rips

Paired with: giishkikaa vai

giishkikaa vai s/he tears, rips

Paired with: giishkikaa vii

giishkikodan vti cut it off, sever it (with a blade)

Paired with: giishkikozh vta

(derived noun) giishkikojigan ni hair clippers
giishkikojigan ni hair clippers

giishkikozh vta cut h/ hair, give h/ a haircut

(detransitive) giishkikozhiwe vai s/he cuts hair
giishkikozhiwe vai s/he cuts hair

giishkikozhiwewikwe na a barber (female)

giishkikozhiwewinini na a barber

giishkikozo vai s/he has a haircut, gets a haircut

giishkindibeshin vai s/he falls and cuts h/ head, cuts h/ head on something

giishkinike vai s/he has h/ arm cut off

giishkininjigane it (fish) has a broken-off fin or fins; it (crayfish) has a broken-off pincer or pincers

giishkininjiishin vai s/he cuts h/ hand or finger on something

giishkininjiizh vta cut off h/ hand, finger, or forepaw

giishkininjiizhwi vta [BL]

► giishkininjiizh vta

giishkishin vai s/he gets cut falling

giishkizh vta cut h/ or it (animate); cut h/ or it (animate) off or through

Paired with: giishkizhan vti See also: giishkizhwi vta [NI]

(reflexive) giishkizhodizo vai s/he cuts h/ self
giishkizhamaw vta cut something for h/; mow (it) for h/

giishkizhan vti cut it; cut it off or through

Paired with: giishkizh vta ; giishkizhwi vta [NI]

(detransitive) giishkizhige vai s/he cuts something off, cuts through something
(verb of use) giishkizhigaagen vai + o cut something with it
(benefactive) giishkizhamaw vta cut something for h/; mow (it) for h/ (verb of undergoing) giishkizhigaade vii it is cut off (by someone), "they" cut it off (verb of undergoing) giishkizhigaazo vai s/he is cut off (by someone), "they" cut h/ off (derived noun) giishkizhigan ni a tool for cutting things off: a scythe, a trimmer
giishkizide vai s/he has h/ foot cut off

giishkizidebizh vta snap off h/ foot

giishkizidezhwi vta [BL] cut h/ foot off

giishkizhigan ni a tool for cutting things off: a scythe, a trimmer

giishkizhigaade vii it is cut off (by someone), "they" cut it off

giishkizhigaagen vai + o cut something with it

giishkizhigaazo vai s/he is cut off (by someone), "they" cut h/ off

giishkizhige vai s/he cuts something off, cuts through something

giishkizhigwanezh vta cut the fishtail off h/

giishkizhigwanezhwi vta [BL]

► giishkizhigwanezh vta

giishkizigwaa vii it is an ice bank

giishkizhodizo vai s/he cuts h/ self

giishkizhwi vta [NI] cut h/ or it (animate); cut h/ or it (animate) off or through

Paired with: giishkizhan vti See also: giishkizh vta

giishkiingwe vai s/he has a cut on h/ face

giishkiingweshin vai s/he falls and cuts h/ face

giishklishin vai s/he gets cut on something

giishkowe vai s/he stops crying; s/he stops making vocal noise

(causative) giishkowe' vta make h/ stop crying
giishkowe' vta make h/ stop crying

giishpin adv gram if

giitagoode vai she takes off her dress

giitagwen vta remove h/ from a snare

giitakizine vai [BL] s/he takes h/ shoes or moccasins off

giitakizine' vai take the shoes or moccasins off h/

giitazhigane vai s/he takes off h/ socks

giitazhigane' vta take off h/ socks

giitaa nad your brother-in-law (a man's brother-in-law)

giitaabikin vta remove h/ from a trap

giitaagime vai s/he takes off h/ snowshoe

giitaagime' vta take off h/ snowshoe

giiwana'amaazo vai s/he sings in a disordered or crazy way

giiwanaadingwaam vai s/he has a bad dream, had a nightmare

giiwanaadizi vai s/he is crazy, is insane

giiwanaadiziiwigamig ni a mental hospital

giiwanaajimo vai s/he lies, tells a false story

(applicative) giiwanaajimotaw vta tell lies to h/; lie to, deceive h/
(reciprocal) giiwanaajimotaadiwag vai they lie to each other; they tell lies to each other
giiwanaajimotaw vta lie to, deceive h/; tell lies to h/

giiwanaajimotaadiwag vai they tell lies to each other; they lie to each other

giiwanim vta lie to, deceive h/

giiwanimo vai s/he lies, deceives

(verb of addiction) giiwanimoshki vai s/he is always lying, is a habitual liar
giiwanimoshki vai s/he is always lying, is a habitual liar

giiwanimotaw vta lie to h/

giiwanonodaw vta

giiwashizi vai s/he is orphaned, is homeless

giiwashiziiwigamig ni an orphanage, a homeless shelter

giiwashke vai s/he is dizzy, feels unsteady

giiwashkoozh vta stun h/

giiwashkoozo vai s/he is shot and stunned

giiwashkwe vai s/he is dizzy, feels unsteady

giiwashkwebani'o vai [BL] s/he makes h/ self dizzy spinning around

giiwashkwebazh vta get h/ drunk

giiwashkwebizo vai s/he feels dizzy driving or riding, is carsick

giiwashkwebii vai s/he is drunk

(verb of pretending) giiwashkwebiikaazo vai s/he pretends to be drunk (verb of addiction) giiwashkwebiishki vai s/he is a drunk
giiwashkwebiibizo vai s/he drives while drunk, is a drunk driver

giiwashkwebiikaazo vai s/he pretends to be drunk

giiwashkwebiishki vai s/he is a drunk

giiwashkwebiiwinaagozi vai s/he looks drunk

giiwashkweganaam vta hit and stun h/, knock h/ senseless

giiwashkwe'ogo vai s/he is seasick

giiwashkwenaw vta shoot and stun h/

giiwashkwenaandam vai2 s/he is dizzy from being hungry

giiwashkwengoshi vai s/he has a nightmare

giiwashkwenoozo vai s/he gets dizzy from smoking

giiwashkweshin vai s/he is stunned, knocked senseless in a fall or on impact with something

giiwashkweyaabandam vai2 s/he is dizzy, feels unsteady

giiwashkweyaadizi vai s/he is crazy, is insane

giiwashkweyaakizo vai s/he is dizzy from the heat

giiwashkweyaanimad vii the wind blows from every direction

giiwashkweyendam vai2 s/he is confused, is in shock, is scared witless

giiwe vai s/he goes home, returns

(verb of pretending) giiwekaazo vai s/he pretends to go home
giiwe- pv lex past the middle of a season

giiwe-biboon vii it is after midwinter, is late winter

giiwe-niibin vii it is after mid-summer, is late summer

giiweba'igo vai s/he rides home, drives home (drawn by horse or dog)

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.