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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

gawa'igaade vii it is chopped down (by someone), "they" chop it down

gawa'igaazo vai it (animate) is chopped down (by someone), "they" chop it (animate) down

gawa'ige vai s/he chops things down

gawaji vai s/he is so cold s/he can't move, freezes to death

gawam vta chew h/ down

Paired with: gawandan vti

gawanaandam vai2 s/he starves

gawandan vti chew it down

Paired with: gawam vta

gawanokii vai s/he collapses from overwork

gawaabaagwe vai s/he suffers from thirst

gawaakadozo vai s/he is really skinny, is starved

gawaakose vai s/he falls over (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: gawaakose vii

gawaakose vii it falls over (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: gawaakose vai

gawaakowebishkan vti knock it (something stick-like) over (with foot or body)

gawaapi vai s/he falls over from laughing so hard

gawaasin vii it is blown over (by the wind)

Paired with: gawaashi vai

gawaaso vai s/he is prostrated by heat

gawaashi vai s/he is blown over (by the wind)

Paired with: gawaasin vii

gawendam vai2 s/he is depressed, is extremely sad, is extremely lonely

gawendaagozi vai s/he is thought to be depressed, extremely sad, or extremely lonely

gawewemo vai s/he cries h/ self out, cries h/ self to sleep

gawibidoon vti2 pull it over or down

Paired with: gawibizh vta

gawibizh vta pull h/ over or down; push h/ over

Paired with: gawibidoon vti2

gawibii vai s/he falls down drunk

gawiboode vii it is sawn down

See also: gawiboozo vai

gawiboodoon vti2 saw it down

Paired with: gawiboozh vta

(detransitive) gawiboojige vai s/he saws (things) down
gawiboojige vai s/he saws (things) down

gawiboozh vta saw h/ down

Paired with: gawiboodoon vti2

gawiboozo vai s/he is sawn down

See also: gawiboode vii

gawin vta upset h/ (by hand)

Paired with: gawinan vti

gawinan vti upset it by hand

Paired with: gawin vta

(detransitive) gawinige vai s/he takes things down, upsets things (verb of undergoing) gawinigaade vii it is taken down (by someone), "they" take it down (verb of undergoing) gawinigaazo vai s/he is taken down, is upset, "they" take h/ down, upset h/
gawingwashi vai s/he falls asleep

gawinigaade vii it is taken down (by someone), "they" take it down

gawinigaazo vai s/he is taken down, is upset, "they" take h/ down, upset h/

gawinige vai s/he takes things down, upsets things

gawinoge vai s/he takes down a lodge or tent

gawise vai s/he falls over

Paired with: gawise vii

gawise vii it falls over

Paired with: gawise vai

gawiskwagizi vai s/he bleeds profusely

gawishimo vai s/he lies down, goes to bed

(causative) gawishimo' vta make h/ lie down; put, lay h/ down to sleep (applicative) gawishimonodaw vta lie down beside h/
gawishimobagizo vai [MN] s/he lies down fast, throws h/ self down (into a lying position)

See also: gawishimobani'o vai [BL]

gawishimobani'o vai [BL] s/he lies down fast, throws h/ self down (into a lying position)

See also: gawishimobagizo vai [MN]

gawishimo' vta make h/ lie down; put, lay h/ down to sleep

gawishimonizha' vta send h/ to bed

gawishimonodaw vta lie down beside h/

gawiweba'an vti knock it down (using something)

gawiwebin vta throw, push, shove h/ down

Paired with: gawiwebinan vti

gawiwebinan vti throw, push, shove it down

Paired with: gawiwebin vta

gawiwebishkan vti knock it over, down (with foot or body); kick it over, down

Paired with: gawiwebishkaw vta

gawiwebishkaw vta knock h/ over, down (with foot or body); kick h/ over. down

Paired with: gawiwebishkan vti

gayat adv tmp formerly, previously, some time ago

gayaashk na a seagull

gayaashko-minisaabik ni a reef where gulls nest

gayaashkogwan na a seagull feather

gayaashkwazison ni [BL] a seagull nest

gayaashkwaabik ni an island or rocky spot where gulls nest

gayaashkwaawan ni a gull egg

gaye adv conj as for, also, too, and

gaye giin pron per you too [singular]

See also: gegiin pron per

gaye giinawaa pron per you too [plural]

See also: gegiinawaa pron per

gaye giinawind pron per us too; we too

gaye niin pron per I too; me too

See also: geniin pron per

gaye niinawind pron per us too; we too

See also: geniinawind pron per

gaye wiin pron per he too; her too; him too; she too

See also: gewiin pron per

gaye wiinawaa pron per them too; they too

See also: gewiinawaa pron per

gaa mashi adv tmp not yet

See also: gaawiin mashi adv tmp

gaa maawiin adv man [BL] maybe not, probably not

See also: maawiin adv man [BL]

gaa wiikaa adv tmp never

See also: gaawiin wiikaa adv tmp

gaa- pv tns [S] [past tense with initial change]: -ed, did, was

See also: gaa'- pv tns

gaa- pv tns [BL] [relative tense under initial change]: while, as; someone who..., something that...

► gii- pv tns [BL]

gaa-babaamaadagewaad na-v [BL] the beings who swim about: the Swimmers

gaa-babaamisewaad na-v [BL] the beings that fly about: the Flyers

gaa-babaamoodewaad na-v [BL] the beings who crawl about: the Crawlers

gaa-bimaawangak doodooshaabo ni-v [BL] powdered milk

gaa-dakwanjigemagak ni-v [BL] a pair of pliers

gaa-gakakaagak wanii'igan ni-v a conibear trap

gaa-gizhibaabideg ni-v something that spins around: a spinner, a phonograph record, a Ferris wheel

gaa-gii'- pv sub [BL] the one that/who (past)

gaa-ishpaabiigibideg ni-v a yo-yo

gaa-ishpaandawebideg ni-v [BL] an elevator

See also: gaa-ishpaandaweg ni-v [BL]

gaa-ishpaandaweg ni-v [BL] an elevator

See also: gaa-ishpaandawebideg ni-v [BL]

gaa-izhi-zhiibaajiwang ni-v a culvert

See also: zhiibaajiwan vii

gaa-miskwaag dagwanjigan ni-v [BL] ketchup, catsup

gaa-niizhoogaaded na-v a bicycle; a two-wheeled vehicle: a bicycle, a motocycle; a being with two legs; a biped

gaa-ozaawaag dagwanjigan ni-v [BL] mustard

gaa-ozaawiminagizid na-v [BL] an orange

See also: ozaawi-mishiimin na [N] ; wezaawiminagizid na-v

gaa-ozaawizigwaag giziibiiga'igan ni-v yellow laundry soap

gaa-waabishkaagamig ni-v [BL] vinegar

See also: waabishkaagamin vii

gaa-waagijiiyaag ni-v [BL] a banana

gaa-wiisagang ni-v pepper

gaa-ziiwiskaagamig ni-v [BL] vinegar

See also: ziiwiskaagamin vii [BL]

gaachidinamaw vta catch (it) for h/; get, contract (an illness) from h/

gaachimo vai s/he is tearful, is almost crying, cries easily, is fussy

(verb of addiction) gaachimoshki vai s/he is always crying, is a crybaby (applicative) gaachimotaw vta be fussy and weepy over h/
(detransitive) gaachimotaage vai s/he is fussy and weepy over someone
gaachimoshki vai s/he is always crying, is a crybaby

gaachimotaw vta be fussy and weepy over h/

gaachimotaage vai s/he is fussy and weepy over someone

gaachitoon vti2

gaadamaw vta hide something from h/

gaadamaazo vai s/he hides (something) from h/ self

gaadaw vta hide (it) from h/

gaadawinzo vai s/he hides berries being picked

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.

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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.