Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

inaandawe vai s/he climbs a certain way, climbs to a certain place

inaande vii it is a certain color, is colored a certain way

Paired with: inaanzo vai

inaangoom vta have h/ as a certain relation

inaanike vai s/he digs to a certain place

inaanikwe vai s/he has such hair

inaanimad vii the wind blows a certain way

inaanimizi vai s/he goes to a certain place in fear; s/he is scared in a certain way

inaanowebagizo vai s/he flicks h/ tail a certain way

See also: inaanowebani'o vai

inaanowebani'o vai s/he flicks h/ tail a certain way

See also: inaanowebagizo vai

inaanoweni vai s/he moves h/ tail a certain way or to a certain place

inaanzo vai s/he is a certain color, is colored a certain way

Paired with: inaande vii

inaapi vai s/he laughs a certain way; s/he goes to a certain place laughing

inaapinazh vta injure, wound, kill h/ a certain way

inaapine vai s/he is afflicted, sick in a certain way

(applicative) inaapinazh vta injure, wound, kill h/ a certain way (derived noun) inaapinewin ni disease; chronic sickness
inaapinewin ni disease; chronic sickness

inaasamabi vai s/he sits facing in a certain way

inaasama'an vti it is exposed to the wind a certain way

inaasamigaabawi vai s/he stands facing a certain way

inaasamigaabawitaw vta stand facing towards h/ a certain way

inaasamisidoon vti2 put it facing a certain way

Paired with: inaasamishim vta

inaasamisin vii it lies facing a certain way

Paired with: inaasamishin vai

inaasamishim vta put h/ facing a certain way

Paired with: inaasamisidoon vti2

inaasamishin vai s/he lies facing a certain way

Paired with: inaasamisin vii

inaasamii vai s/he faces a certain direction; s/he faces somehing in h/ future

inaasige vai it (animate; sun, moon, or star) shines a certain way

inaasin vii it is blown to a certain place or in a certain way (by the wind); sails, soars to a certain place or in a certain way; it sails to a certain place

inaashi vai s/he is blown to a certain place or in a certain way; sails, soars to a certain place or in a certain way

Paired with: inaasin vii

inaashkaa vii waves come a certain way, to a certain place

inaate vii it shines a certain way, to a certain place

inaatenamaw vta shine (it) for h/ in a certain direction

inaatenan vti shine it in a certain direction

(detransitive) inaatenige vai s/he shines a light in a certain direction, casts a light in a certain firection (benefactive) inaatenamaw vta shine (it) for h/ in a certain direction
inaatenige vai s/he shines a light in a certain direction, casts a light in a certain firection

inaatese vii it is a certain kind of movie or television show

inaatewebinige vai s/he casts a light in a certain direction

inaawadaaso vai s/he hauls a load to a certain place

inaawadoon vti2 haul it to a certain place

Paired with: inaawazh vta

(detransitive) inaawadaaso vai s/he hauls a load to a certain place
inaawanidiwag vai they travel in a group to a certain place

inaawazh vta haul h/ to a certain place

Paired with: inaawadoon vti2

(reciprocal) inaawanidiwag vai they travel in a group to a certain place
inaawiganebi vai

inaazhagaame vai s/he walks along shore to a certain place

inaazhagaamebizo vai s/he drives to a certain place along the shore

inaazakonenjige vai s/he goes to a certain place with light, shines a light to a certain place

ind= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

indaga pc disc [RL] come on!; please!

See also: daga pc disc

indashkaa pc disc I suppose, I guess

indawaa adv man a course of action is suggested: rather, might as well, it would be better to/if/that...; a course of action is taken as a consequence of something: therefore, consequently

See also: indawaaj adv man ; nindawaa adv man

indawaaj adv man a course of action is suggested: rather, might as well, it would be better to/if/that...; a course of action is taken as a consequence of something: therefore, consequently

indawemaa nad my brother; my sibling of the opposite sex; my sister

inday nad my dog; my horse

indaamikan nid my chin; my jaw

indaangoshenh nad my (if I am female) cross-cousin (a female cross-cousin: my mother's brother's daughter, my father's sister's daughter)

indaangwe nad my sister-in-law (a female's sister-in-law)

See also: nindaangwe nad

indaanis nad my daughter

indaashaan pc disc come here!

See also: nindaashaan pc disc

indede nad my father

See also: imbaabaa nad

inde' nid my heart

indenaniw nid my tongue

indengway nid [ML] my face

indengwaan nid [N] my face

indigo adv man as if; just like, seems like

indiniigan nid my shoulder blade (scapula)

See also: nindiniigan nid

indis nid my navel, umbilical cord

indiy nid my rump, rear end, butt

See also: nidiy nid

indoodem nad my clan

indoodikosiw nad my kidney

indoodooshim nad my breast

indoon nid my mouth

indoondan nid my heel

indooskwan nid my elbow

indoozhim nad
  1. my nephew (parallel nephew: a male's brother's son or a female's sister's son)
  2. my stepson

See also: nindoozhim nad

indoozhimikwem nad my stepdaughter

indoozhimis nad my niece (parallel niece: female's sister's daughter or male's brother's daughter)

ine pc disc exclamation of denial

inendam vai2
  1. s/he thinks a certain way
  2. s/he decides, agrees, consents
  3. s/he wills something to happen, makes something happen by power of thought

inendan vti think of it a certain way

Paired with: inenim vta

inendaagozi vai s/he has a certain destiny; s/he is thought of a certain way, seems to be a certain way

Paired with: inendaagwad vii

inendaagwad vii it is thought of a certain way, seems to be a certain way

Paired with: inendaagozi vai

inendi vai s/he is away, absent, gone so long

inenim vta think of h/ a certain way

Paired with: inendan vti

inenimo vai s/he agrees; s/he feels a certain way; s/he thinks of h/ self a certain way

inenindiwag vai they think of each other a certain way

inge pc disc [woman's expression of mild displeasure or disdain]

ingidig nad [ML] my knee

ingidig nid [N] my knee

See also: ningidig nid [C] [N] ; nigidig nid

ingitiziim nad my parent

ingiw pron dem [LL] [ML] those (animate plural)

See also: igiw pron dem [N] ; igiweg pron dem [N]

ingiwedig pron dem [LL] [ML] those over there (animate plural)

ingo- pv qnt one

See also: ningo- pv qnt

ingo-anama'e-giizhik qnt num one week

See also: ningo-anama'e-giizhik qnt num

ingo-biboon qnt num one year; one winter

See also: ningo-biboon qnt num

ingo-biboonagad vii it is one year

See also: ningo-biboonagad vii

ingo-biboonagizi vai s/he is one year old

See also: ningo-biboonagizi vai

ingo-diba'igan qnt num one hour; one mile; one yard

ingo-diba'igane vii [N] it is one o'clock

See also: ningo-diba'igane vii [N]

ingo-diba'iganed vii [S] it is one o'clock

See also: ningo-diba'iganed vii [S]

ingo-diba'igaans qnt num one acre; one minute

See also: ningo-diba'igaans qnt num

ingo-diba'oobaan qnt num [BL] one gallon

ingo-dibaabiishkoojigan qnt num one pound

See also: ningo-dibaabiishkoojigan qnt num

ingo-dibik qnt num one night

ingo-gikinoonowin qnt num one year

See also: ningo-gikinoonowin qnt num

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.