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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

goopazitaagwad vii it sounds pitiful

goos nad your father

See also: gibaabaa nad ; gidede nad

goozhishenh nad your grandchild

gwanabaabogo vai s/he capsizes, tips over in the current

gwanabaaboode vii it capsizes in the current

gwanabaaboozo vai s/he capsizes in the current

Paired with: gwanabaaboode vii

gwanabaasin vii it capsizes, tips over in the wind

Paired with: gwanabaashi vai

gwanabaashi vai s/he or it (animate) capsizes, tips over in the wind

Paired with: gwanabaasin vii

gwanabibizo vai s/he tips over driving

gwanabinan vti tilt it, turn it over (spilling out the contents)

gwanabinaagane vai s/he upsets h/ dish or plate

gwanabise vai s/he tips, capsizes

Paired with: gwanabise vii

gwanabise vii it tips, capsize

Paired with: gwanabise vai

gwanabishkan vti tip it (with foot or body)

gwanabishkaa vai s/he capsizes, tips over

gwanabishkaa vii it capsizes, tips over

gwanabitaa vai s/he turns over

gwanabiwebaashi vai s/he tips, capsizes in the wind

gwayak adv man
  1. straight
  2. right, correct

gwayako- pv lex
  1. straight
  2. right, correct, proper

gwayako-ayaa vii

gwayako-bimaadizi vai s/he leads the right kind of life

(derived noun) gwayako-bimaadiziwin ni the right kind of life
gwayako-bimaadiziwin ni the right kind of life

gwayako-zhooniyaa na cash, ready money

gwayakobatoo vai s/he runs straight

gwayakobide vii it speeds, drives, flies straight

Paired with: gwayakobizo vai

gwayakobidoon vti2 pull, tear it straight

Paired with: gwayakobizh vta

gwayakobizh vta pull, tear h/ straight

Paired with: gwayakobidoon vti2

gwayakobizo vai s/he speeds, drives, flies straight

Paired with: gwayakobide vii

gwayakobii'an vti write it correctly

(detransitive) gwayakobii'ige vai s/he writes correctly (verb of undergoing) gwayakobii'igaade vii it is written correctly (by someone), "they" write it correctly
gwayakobii'igaade vii it is written correctly (by someone), "they" write it correctly

gwayakobii'ige vai s/he writes correctly

gwayakoboode vii it is sawn straight

Paired with: gwayakoboozo vai

gwayakoboodoon vti2 saw it straight

Paired with: gwayakoboozh vta

gwayakoboozh vta saw h/ straight

Paired with: gwayakoboodoon vti2

gwayakoboozo vai s/he is sawn straight

Paired with: gwayakoboode vii

gwayakochige vai s/he makes things right, does things right

gwayakogamaa vii it is a straight lake

gwayakogaabawi vai s/he stands straight, has good posture

gwayakogi vai s/he grows straight

Paired with: gwayakogin vii

gwayakogin vii it grows straight

Paired with: gwayakogi vai

gwayakogiizhwe vai s/he speaks correctly, speaks the truth

gwayakogwayawe vai h/ neck is straight

gwayakogwaadan vti sew it correctly

Paired with: gwayakogwaazh vta

gwayakogwaade vii it is sewn correctly

Paired with: gwayakogwaazo vai

gwayakogwaaso vai s/he sews correctly

gwayakogwaazh vta sew it (animate) correctly

Paired with: gwayakogwaadan vti

gwayakogwaazo vai s/he is sewn correctly

gwayako' vta
  1. make h/ straight
  2. make h/ right

Paired with: gwayakotoon vti2

gwayakokweni vai s/he holds h/ head straight

gwayakomaagozi vai s/he smells right

gwayakomaagwad vai it smells right

Paired with: gwayakomaagozi vai

gwayakosidoon vti2 lay, put it straight; lay, put it in the correct place or order; express it correctly or truthfully (in speech or in writing)

Paired with: gwayakoshim vta [BL]

gwayakosin vii
  1. it lies correctly
  2. it lies straight

Paired with: gwayakoshin vai

gwayakoshim vta [BL] lay, put h/ or it (animate) in the correct place or order; lay, put h/ or it (animate) straight

Paired with: gwayakosidoon vti2

gwayakoshin vai
  1. s/he lies straight
  2. s/he lies correctly

Paired with: gwayakosin vii

gwayakoshkaa vai
  1. s/he goes straight
  2. s/he goes the right way

gwayakotam vai2 s/he hears the right thing, finds out the truth

gwayakotaagozi vai s/he or it (animate) sounds right

Paired with: gwayakotaagwad vii

gwayakotaagwad vii it sounds right

Paired with: gwayakotaagozi vai

gwayakotigweyaa vii it is a straight river

gwayakotoon vti2
  1. make it straight
  2. make it right

Paired with: gwayako' vta

(detransitive) gwayakochige vai s/he makes things right, does things right
gwayakowe vai s/he speaks correctly, speaks the truth

gwayakozh vta cut h/ or it (animate) straight

Paired with: gwayakozhan vti See also: gwayakozhwi vta [NI]

gwayakozhan vti cut it straight

Paired with: gwayakozh vta ; gwayakozhwi vta [NI]

gwayakozi vai s/he is straight

Paired with: gwayakwaa vii

gwayakozhwi vta [NI] cut h/ or it (animate) straight

Paired with: gwayakozhan vti

gwayakwa'amii vai s/he walks straight

gwayakwakamigaa vii it is level ground

gwayakwamon vti it (road or trail) is straight

gwayakwaa vii
  1. it is straight
  2. it is correct

Paired with: gwayakozi vai

gwayakwaabate vii smoke goes straight up

gwayakwaabidoo'an vti thread it correctly, bead it correctly (on a bead loom)

(detransitive) gwayakwaabidoo'ige vai s/he beads things correctly (on a loom)
gwayakwaabidoo'ige vai s/he beads things correctly (on a loom)

gwayakwaabikad vii it (mineral) is straight

Paired with: gwayakwaabikizi vai

gwayakwaabikizi vai it (animate; mineral) is straight

Paired with: gwayakwaabikad vii

gwayakwaabiigad vii it (string-like) s straight

Paired with: gwayakwaabiigizi vai

gwayakwaabiigizi vai s/he is straight (as something string-like)

Paired with: gwayakwaabiigad vii

gwayakwaadizi vai s/he is a good person (leads a good life, has a good character, is honest)

(derived noun) gwayakwaadiziwin ni good character, honesty
gwayakwaadiziwin ni good character, honesty

gwayakwaagamisijigan ni a level

gwayakwaajimo vai s/he tells the news or the story correctly, tells the truth

gwayakwaakosidoon vti2 set it (something stick-like) straight

Paired with: gwayakwaakoshim vta

gwayakwaakosin vii it (something stick-like) lies straight

Paired with: gwayakwaakoshin vai

gwayakwaakoshim vta set, lay h/ (something stick-like) straight

See also: gwayakwaakoshim vta

gwayakwaakoshin vai it ((animate; stick-like) lies straight

Paired with: gwayakwaakosin vii

gwayakwaakozi vai s/he is straight (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: gwayakwaakwad vii

gwayakwaakwad vii it is straight (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: gwayakwaakozi vai

gwayakwaawigane vai

gwayakwegad vii it (sheet-like) is straight

Paired with: gwayakwegizi vai

gwayakwegizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is straight

Paired with: gwayakwegad vii

gwayakwendam vai2 s/he thinks correctly; s/he is sure, certain about something

(derived noun) gwayakwendamowin ni correct thought
gwayakwendamowin ni correct thought

gwayakwendamowin ni correct thought

gwayakwendan vti think it right, correct; be sure, certain about it

Paired with: gwayakwenim vta

gwayakwendaagozi vai s/he is thought right

Paired with: gwayakwendaagwad vii

gwayakwendaagwad vii it is thought right

Paired with: gwayakwendaagozi vai

gwayakwenim vta think h/ is right, correct; be sure, certain about h/

Paired with: gwayakwendan vti

gwaaba' vta scoop h/ up

Paired with: gwaaba'an vti

(derived noun) gwaaba'waagan na a scoop net
gwaaba'adaawangwaan ni [BL] a shovel (for dirt), a spade

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.