Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

inigokwaabikizi vai s/he is a certain size, is so big (as something mineral)

Paired with: inigokwaabikad vii

inigokwaabiigad vii it (string-like) is a certain size, is so big

Paired with: inigokwaabiigizi vai

inigokwaabiigizi vai it (animate; string-like) is a certain size, is so big

Paired with: inigokwaabiigad vii

inigokwaakozi vai it (animate; stick-like) is a certain size, is so big

Paired with: inigokwaakwad vii

inigokwaakwad vii it (stick-like) is a certain size, is so big

Paired with: inigokwaakozi vai

inigokwegad vii it (sheet-like) is a certain size, is so big

Paired with: inigokwegizi vai

inigokwegizhan vti cut it (sheet-like) a certain size

inigokwegizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is a certain size, is so big

Paired with: inigokwegad vii

inikodan vti slice it a certain way

Paired with: inikozh vta

inikonaye vai s/he dresses a certain way

inikozh vta slice h/ a certain way

Paired with: inikodan vti

inikwe'an vti steer it a certain way

Paired with: inikwe'wi vta [NI]

inikwe'wi vta [NI] steer h/ or it (animate) a certain way

Paired with: inikwe'an vti

inikweni vai s/he puts h/ head a certain way, nods h/ head a certain way

inikweshin vai s/he lies with h/ head a certain way

inikwetaw vta nod h/ head to h/ a certain way

inin vta hold, handle h/ a certain way

Paired with: ininan vti

ininamaw vta hand (it) to h/ a certain way; motion to h/ a certain way with the hand or hands

ininamaadiwag vai they hand (it) to each other

ininan vti hold, handle it a certain way

Paired with: inin vta

(benefactive) ininamaw vta hand (it) to h/ a certain way; motion to h/ a certain way with the hand or hands
(reciprocal) ininamaadiwag vai they hand (it) to each other
(detransitive) ininige vai s/he holds, handles things a certain way; s/he points in a certain direction (verb of undergoing) ininigaade vii it is held a certain way (by someone), "they" hold it a certain way; it is handled a certain way (by someone), "they" handle it a certain way (verb of undergoing) ininigaazo vai s/he is held a certain way (by someone), "they" hold h/ a certain way; s/he is handled a certain way (by someone), "they" handle h/ a certain way
ininaw vta shoot h/ in a certain way or in a certain place on h/ body; wound h/ in a certain way or in a certain place on h/ body

ininaandag na a balsam fir

[
balsam fir
; 
Abies balsamea
]

See also: aninaandag na

ininaandago-bigiw na balsam fir pitch

ininaatig na a maple

[
sugar maple
; 
Acer saccharum
]

See also: aninaatig na

(verb of abundance) ininaatigokaa vii there are (many) maples
ininaatigo-ziinzibaakwad ni [BL] maple sugar

ininaatigo-zhiiwaagamizigan ni maple syrup

ininaatigobag ni a maple leaf

ininaatigokaa vii there are (many) maples

See also: aninaatig na

inini na a man

(verb of being) ininiiwi vai he is a man (verb of pretending) ininiikaazo vai s/he pretends to be a man, acts like a man
ininigaade vii it is handled a certain way (by someone), "they" handle it a certain way; it is held a certain way (by someone), "they" hold it a certain way

ininigaazo vai s/he is handled a certain way (by someone), "they" handle h/ a certain way; s/he is held a certain way (by someone), "they" hold h/ a certain way

ininige vai s/he holds, handles things a certain way; s/he points in a certain direction

ininishib na a mallard

[
Anas platyrhynchos 
]

See also: aninishib na

ininiwaya'aa na a male

ininii-biizikigan ni an item of men's clothing

ininii-makizin ni a man's shoe or moccasin

ininiikaazo vai s/he pretends to be a man, acts like a man

ininiiwi vai he is a man

inishkoodoon vti

initam vai2 s/he hears a certain sounds, understands something heard

initan vti hear, understand it a certain way

Paired with: initaw vta

initaw vta hear h/ a certain way; understand h/ a certain way

Paired with: initan vti

initaagozi vai s/he is heard, is understood a certain way

Paired with: initaagwad vii

initaagwad vii it is heard, is understood a certain way

Paired with: initaagozi vai

iniw pron dem that (animate obviative); those (animate obviative)

See also: iniwe pron dem ; iniwen pron dem

iniw pron dem those (inanimate plural)

See also: iniwe pron dem [N]

iniwe pron dem that (animate obviative); those (animate obviative)

See also: iniw pron dem ; iniwen pron dem

iniwe pron dem [N] those (inanimate plural)

See also: iniw pron dem

iniwedi pron dem that over there (animate obviative); those over there (animate obviative)

See also: iniwedin pron dem

iniwedin pron dem that over there (animate obviative); those over there (animate obviative); those over there (inanimate plural)

iniwen pron dem [RL] those (inanimate plural)

iniwen pron dem that (animate obviative); those (animate obviative)

See also: iniw pron dem ; iniwe pron dem

iniz vta cook h/ a certain way; heat h/ a certain way

Paired with: inizan vti

inizh vta cut h/ or it (animate) a certain way

Paired with: inizhan vti See also: inizhwi vta [NI]

inizhamaw vta cut (it) a certain way for h/

inizan vti cook it a certain way; heat it a certain way

Paired with: iniz vta

(detransitive) inizige vai s/he cooks (things) a certain way
inizhan vti cut it a certain way

Paired with: inizh vta ; inizhwi vta [NI]

(benefactive) inizhamaw vta cut (it) a certain way for h/ (detransitive) inizhige vai s/he cuts (things) a certain way (verb of undergoing) inizhigaade vii it is cut a certain way (by someone),"they" cut it a certain way (verb of undergoing) inizhigaazo vai s/he is cut a certain way (by someone), "they" cut h/ a certain way
inizekwe vai s/he cooks a certain way

inizhigaade vii it is cut a certain way (by someone),"they" cut it a certain way

inizhigaazo vai s/he is cut a certain way (by someone), "they" cut h/ a certain way

inizige vai s/he cooks (things) a certain way

inizhige vai s/he cuts (things) a certain way

inizo vai s/he is cooked a certain way

Paired with: inide vii

inizwi vta [NI]

► iniz vta

inizhwi vta [NI] cut h/ or it (animate) a certain way

Paired with: inizhan vti See also: inizh vta

injaanzh nid [S] my nose

See also: ninjaan nid [N]

injiingwan nad my lap; my (front of) thigh

inose vai s/he walks in a certain way, walks to a certain place

inoode vai s/he crawls a certain way, crawls to a certain place

inoodewzi vai

inoo'amaw vta [BL] point out something for h/

See also: izhinoo'amaw vta

inoo'an vti [BL] point to it

Paired with: inoo'wi vta [NI] See also: izhinoo'an vti

(detransitive) inoo'ige vai [BL] s/he points to something (benefactive) inoo'amaw vta [BL] point out something for h/ (derived noun) inoo'igan ni [BL] something that points: a pointer, an indicator, a needle on a dial
inoo'igan ni [BL] something that points: a pointer, an indicator, a needle on a dial

inoo'ige vai [BL] s/he points to something

inoo'wi vta [NI] point to h/ or it (animate)

inoom vta carry h/ to a certain place on h/ back

Paired with: inoondan vti

inoomaawaso vai s/he carries a baby to a certain place on h/ back

inoomigo vai s/he rides to a certain place on horseback

inoondan vti carry it to a certain place on h/ back

Paired with: inoom vta

inootaw vta quote h/ a certain way

(detransitive) inootaage vai s/he quotes people, reports what people say
inootaage vai s/he quotes people, reports what people say

inwe vai s/he makes a characteristic call (of an animal or bird); s/he speaks a certain language

(derived noun) inwewin ni a way of speaking, a language, a dialect
inwewe vii it makes a certain noise

inwewebagaasin vii its leaves sound a certain way blowing in the wind

inweweba'idiwag vai they are heard running to a certain place together

inwewebatoo vai s/he is heard running to a certain place

inwewebizo vai s/he drives, flies, speeds to a certain place making noise

inwewebiisaa vii [MN] the rain sounds a certain way, sounds like it goes a certain way

See also: inwewebiisaan vii [BL]

inwewebiisaan vii [BL] the rain sounds a certain way, sounds like it goes a certain way

See also: inwewebiisaa vii [MN]

inwewesidoon vti2 drop and make it sound a certain way

Paired with: inweweshim vta

inwewesin vii it sounds a certain way falling or hitting

Paired with: inweweshin vai

inweweshim vta drop and make h/ sound a certain way

Paired with: inwewesidoon vti2

inweweshin vai s/he sounds a certain way falling, hitting, or stepping

Paired with: inwewesin vii

inwewetoo vai s/he goes to a certain place speaking publicly, making sounds

inweweyaadagaa vai s/he is heard swimming to a certain place

inweweyaadagaako vai s/he is heard going to a certain place on the ice

inweweyaadagaazii vai s/he is heard wading to a certain place

inweweyaanimad vii the wind is heard blowing a certain way

inweweyaasin vii it is heard flying, soaring, or sailing to a certain place or in a certain way

Paired with: inweweyaashi vai

inweweyaashi vai s/he is heard flying, soaring, or sailing to a certain place or in a certain way

Paired with: inweweyaasin vii

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.