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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

goshkwaawaadizi vai s/he is still, is quiet (in manner or way of life)

goshkwaawaajigaabawi vai s/he stands quietly, stands still

goshkwaawaajishin vai s/he lies still

goshkwaawaazom vta say something to h/ that makes h/ still and quiet

goshkwendam vai2 s/he is surprised

gotan vti be afraid of, fear it

Paired with: goshi vta

gotandan vti2 be afraid to eat it

(detransitive) gotanjige vai s/he is afraid to eat something, shouldn't eat something
gotanjige vai s/he is afraid to eat something, shouldn't eat something

gotaaji vai s/he is afraid, is fearful

(verb of addiction) gotaajishki vai s/he is timid
gotaajishki vai s/he is timid

gotaamigom vta

gotaamigozi vai s/he is a good worker, is a good provider

gotaamigwad vii it is an extremely bad storm

Paired with: gotaamigozi vai

gotaazom vta scare h/ by speaking; tell h/ something to scare h/

gotigobide vii it rolls over, goes out of place

Paired with: gotigobizo vai

gotigobidoon vti2 roll, tip it over

Paired with: gotigobizh vta

gotigobizh vta roll, tip h/ over

Paired with: gotigobidoon vti2

gotigobizo vai s/he rolls over, goes out of place

Paired with: gotigobide vii

gozi vai s/he moves (where s/he lives, resides, or camps)

gozigowane vai s/he carries a heavy pack

gozigwan vii it is heavy

Paired with: gozigwani vai

gozigwani vai s/he or it (animate) is heavy

Paired with: gozigwan vii

gozigwaabaawe vii it is wet and heavy, is heavy from being wet

gozigwaakomin na a serviceberry

[
serviceberry, juneberry, saskatoon
; 
Amelanchier spp.
]

gozigwaakominagaawanzh na a serviceberry bush

[
serviceberry, juneberry, saskatoon
; 
Amelanchier spp.
]

gozikan vti
  1. test it (with foot or body)
  2. try it on

Paired with: gozikaw vta

gozikaw vta
  1. test h/ (with foot or body)
  2. try h/ on

Paired with: gozikan vti

googa'am vai2 s/he (a fish) jumps out of the water

googii vai s/he dives

(applicative) googiinodan vti dive after it (applicative) googiinodaw vta dive after h/
googiikwebani'o vai [BL] s/he quickly dunks h/ (own) head underwater

googiikweni vai s/he puts h/ (own) head underwater

googiin vta dunk h/, dip h/ into the water

Paired with: googiinan vti

googiinan vti dunk it, dip it into the water

Paired with: googiin vta

googiinodan vti dive after it

Paired with: googiinodaw vta

googiinodaw vta dive after h/

Paired with: googiinodan vti

gookomis nad your grandmother

gookowensii na a moth

gookooko'oo na an owl

gookoosh na a pig; pork

gookooshens na a piglet

gookooshi-bimide ni lard; bacon grease

See also: gookooshiwi-bimide ni [BL]

gookooshi-wiiyaas ni pork

gookooshiwi-bimide ni [BL] bacon grease

See also: gookooshi-bimide ni

gookooshiwi-wiiyaas ni [RL] ham; pork

gookooshiwigamig ni a hog barn; a pig sty

goon na snow

(verb of abundance) goonikaa vii there is (a lot of) snow (verb of being) gooniwi vai s/he is snowy, has snow on h/ (verb of being) gooniwan vii it is snowy, has snow on it
goonajikwaa vii there is snow on the ice

goonikaa vii there is (a lot of) snow

gooniwakamigaa vii it is snowy ground

gooniwan vii it is snowy, has snow on it

Paired with: gooniwi vai

gooniwaakozi vai it (animate; stick-like) has snow on it

Paired with: gooniwaakwad vii

gooniwaakwad vii it (stick-like) has snow on it

Paired with: gooniwaakozi vai

gooniwi vai s/he is snowy, has snow on h/

Paired with: gooniwan vii

goopadendan vti think it worthless

Paired with: goopadenim vta

goopadenim vta think h/ worthless; feel pity for h/, feel sorry about h/

Paired with: goopadendan vti

goopadizi vai s/he is worthless, is useless

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 vii it capsizes, tips over

gwanabishkaa vai s/he 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

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.