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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

izhidaabii'iwe vai s/he drives to a certain place or in a certain way

izhidaamikane vai s/he has such a chin or jaw

izhidiyeni vai s/he moves h/ rear a certain way

izhidiyeshin vai s/he lies with h/ rear facing a certain way

izhidoonem vta point h/ out with lips

izhidooneni vai s/he points a certain way with lips

izhidoonetaw vta point (it) out to h/ with lips

izhigamaa vii it is a lake of a certain kind or shape

izhiganzhii vai s/he has such nails, claws, or hooves

izhigaabawi vai s/he has a certain stature; s/he stands a certain way

izhigaade vai s/he has such a leg or such legs

izhigaadeni vai s/he moves h/ leg a certain way

izhigi vai s/he grows a certain way

Paired with: izhigin vii

izhigidaazo vai s/he goes to a certain place angry, goes to a certain place mad

izhigin vii it grows a certain way

Paired with: izhigi vai

izhigiizhwe vai s/he talks a certain way

izhigozi vai s/he moves there

izhigwaadan vti sew it a certain way

Paired with: izhigwaazh vta

izhigwaade vii it is sewn a certain way

Paired with: izhigwaazo vai

izhigwaaso vai s/he sews a certain way

izhigwaashkwani vai s/je jumps to a certain place, jumps in a certain way

izhigwaazh vta sew h/ a certain way

Paired with: izhigwaadan vti

izhigwaazo vai s/he is sewn a certain way

Paired with: izhigwaade vii

izhi' vta
  1. make or cause h/ to be a certain way
  2. make or cause h/ to do something (a certain way)

Paired with: izhitoon vti2

izhi'o vai s/he dresses a certain way

izhi'on ni a ceremonial token or charm

izhijaane vai s/he has such a nose

izhijiwan vii it flows a certain way, flows to a certain place

izhikawe vai s/he leaves tracks going to a certain place

izhikaazo vai

izhikonaye vai s/he dresses a certain way

izhimaagozi vai s/he smells a certain way

Paired with: izhimaagwad vii

izhimaagwad vii it smells a certain way

Paired with: izhimaagozi vai

izhimaam vta find s/he smells a certain way

Paired with: izhimaandan vti

izhimaandan vti find it smells a certain way

Paired with: izhimaam vta

izhimaaso vai s/he smells a certain way cooking or burning

Paired with: izhimaate vii

izhimaate vii it smells a certain way cooking or burning; its aroma goes to a certain place

Paired with: izhimaaso vai

izhinam vai2 s/he has a certain dream or vision, thinks s/he sees something a certain way

izhinan vti see, perceive it a certain way

Paired with: izhinaw vta

izhinaw vta see, perceive h/ a certain way

Paired with: izhinan vti

izhinaago' vta make h/ look a certain way

Paired with: izhinaagotoon vti2

(reflexive) izhinaago'idizo vai s/he transforms h/ self in appearance
izhinaago'idizo vai s/he transforms h/ self in appearance

izhinaagotoon vti2 make it look a certain way

Paired with: izhinaago' vta

izhinaagozi vai s/he has a certain look or appearance

Paired with: izhinaagwad vii

izhinaagwad vii it has a certain look or appearance

Paired with: izhinaagozi vai

izhinaazha' vta chase h/ to a certain place

izhinaazhikaw vta chase h/ to a certain place; send h/ to a certain place

izhingwashi vai s/he sleeps so

izhinigaadan vti carry it on the shoulder to a certain place

Paired with: izhinigaazh vta

izhinigaazh vta carry h/, it (animate) on the shoulder to a certain place

Paired with: izhinigaadan vti

izhinige vai s/he carries something to a certain place on the shoulder

(applicative) izhinigaadan vti carry it on the shoulder to a certain place (applicative) izhinigaazh vta carry h/, it (animate) on the shoulder to a certain place
izhinikaadan vti name it a certain way; call it by such a name

Paired with: izhinikaazh vta

izhinikaade vii it is named a certain way; it is called by such a name

Paired with: izhinikaazo vai

izhinikaazh vta name h/ a certain way; call h/ by such a name

Paired with: izhinikaadan vti

izhinikaazo vai s/he is named a certain way, has such a name; s/he is called by such a name

Paired with: izhinikaade vii

(derived noun) izhinikaazowin ni a personal or family name
izhinikaazowin ni a personal or family name

izhinike vai s/he has such an arm or such arms

izhinikeni vai s/he moves h/ arm a certain way

izhininjii vai s/he has such a hand or such hands

izhininjiini vai s/he moves h/ hand a certain way

izhinizha' vta chase h/ to a certain place; send h/ to a certain place

Paired with: izhinizha'an vti

izhinizha'amaw vta send (it) to h/ to a certain place

izhinizha'an vti send it to a certain place

Paired with: izhinizha' vta

(benefactive) izhinizha'amaw vta send (it) to h/ to a certain place (detransitive) izhinizha'ige vai s/he sends things to a certain place (verb of undergoing) izhinizha'igaade vii it is sent to a certain place (by someone), "they" send it to a certain place (verb of undergoing) izhinizha'igaazo vai s/he is sent to a certain place (by someone), "they" send h/ to a certain place
izhinizha'igaade vii it is sent to a certain place (by someone), "they" send it to a certain place

izhinizha'igaazo vai s/he is sent to a certain place (by someone), "they" send h/ to a certain place

izhinizha'ige vai s/he sends things to a certain place

izhinizha'wi vta [NI] chase h/ to a certain place; send h/ to a certain place

► izhinizha' vta

izhinizhikaw vta chase h/ to a certain place

(detransitive) izhinizhikaage vai s/he chases people to a certain place
izhinizhikaage vai s/he chases people to a certain place

izhinizhimo vai s/he runs to a certain place in flight

izhinoo' vta point to h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: izhinoo'an vti

izhinoo'amaw vta point to (it) for h/

izhinoo'an vti point to it a certain way

Paired with: izhinoo' vta

(benefactive) izhinoo'amaw vta point to (it) for h/ (detransitive) izhinoo'ige vai s/he points, indicates (derived noun) izhinoo'igan ni a pointer
izhinoo'igan ni a pointer

izhinoo'iganininj ni an index finger

izhinoo'ige vai s/he points, indicates

izhinoo'wi vta

► izhinoo' vta

izhipon vii it snows a certain way; snow goes there

izhise vii
  1. it flies to a certain place
  2. it passes (as time)

Paired with: izhise vai

izhise vai
  1. s/he flies to a certain place
  2. it happens to h/, comes to pass for h/

Paired with: izhise vii

izhisidoon vti2
  1. put, lay, set it a certain way
  2. put or express it a certain way in speech, song, or writing
  3. write, print it a certain way

Paired with: izhishim vta

izisin vii
  1. it lies a certain way
  2. it is put or expressed a certain way (in speech, song, or writing)
  3. it is written, printed a certain way (as in a book)

See also: izhishin vai

izhisin vii
  1. it lies a certain way
  2. it is put or expressed a certain way (in speech, song, or writing)
  3. it is written, printed a certain way (as in a book)

Paired with: izhishin vai See also: izisin vii

izhishim vta put, lay, set h/ a certain way

Paired with: izhisidoon vti2

izhishimo vai s/he dances a certain way, dances to a certain place

izhishin vai s/he lies a certain way

Paired with: izhisin vii

izhishkiinzhigwe vai s/he has such an eye or eyes

izhitamaw vta make (it) for h/ a certain way

See also: izhitaw vta

izhitaw vta make (it) for h/ a certain way

See also: izhitamaw vta

izhitawage vai s/he has such an ear or ears

izhitigweyaa vii it (river) flows a certain way, flows to a certain place

izhitoon vti2 cause it to be a certain way, make it a certain way

Paired with: izhi' vta

izhitaw vta make (it) for h/ a certain way (benefactive) izhitamaw vta make (it) for h/ a certain way (detransitive) izhichige vai s/he does, makes things a certain way (derived noun) izhichigewin ni a certain way of doing something, an activity, a deed (verb of undergoing) izhichigaade vii it is made a certain way (by someone), "they" make it a certain way (verb of undergoing) izhichigaazo vai s/he is made a certain way (by someone), "they" make h/ a certain way
izhitwaa vai s/he has a certain custom or belief, practices a certain religion

(derived noun) izhitwaawin ni a certain way of belief, a religion, a culture
izhitwaawin ni a certain way of belief, a religion, a culture

izhiwane vai s/he carries a pack to a certain place

izhiwanen vai + o s/he carries it (a pack) to a certain place

izhiwebad vii
  1. it is a certain weather condition
  2. it happens a certain way

Paired with: izhiwebizi vai

izhiweba' vta shove, knock h/ or it (animate) a certain way (using something)

Paired with: izhiweba'an vti

izhiweba'an vti shove, knock it a certain way (using something)

Paired with: izhiweba' vta

izhiwebin vta throw, toss, shove h/ a certain way or to a certain place

Paired with: izhiwebinan vti

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.