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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

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

(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

inweweyaashkaa vii waves make a certain sound

inwewezigwa'o vai s/he or it (animate) is heard going to a certain place under the ice

inwewidam vai s/he is heard speaking going to a certain place

inwewin ni a way of speaking, a language, a dialect

inzid nid my foot

See also: nizid nid

inzigos nad my aunt (cross-aunt: father's sister)

inzigozis nad my mother-in-law

inzinis nad my father-in-law

See also: nizhinis nad [N]

inzhishenh nad my uncle (cross-uncle: mother's brother)

ipa'igo vai s/he rides to a certain place, drives to a certain place (drawn by horse or dog)

See also: apa'igo vai

ipide vii it speeds, drives, flies to a certain place or in a certain way

Paired with: ipizo vai See also: apide vii

ipidoon vti2 use hands on it a certain way: push, pull, or grab it a certain way or at a certain place on it

Paired with: ipizh vta

ipizh vta pull, push, or grab h/ or it (animate) a certain way or at a certain place on h/ or it

Paired with: ipidoon vti2

ipizo vai s/he speeds, drives, flies to a certain place

Paired with: ipide vii See also: apizo vai

ipizo' vta [BL] drive h/ to a certain place

ipizoni' vta drive h/ to a certain place

Paired with: ipizonitoon vti2

ipizonitoon vti2 drive it to a certain place

Paired with: ipizoni' vta

ipogozi vai it (animate) has a certain taste, tastes a certain way

Paired with: ipogwad vii

ipogwad vii it has a certain taste, tastes a certain way

Paired with: ipogozi vai

ipoozo vai s/he or it (animate) is rubbed or abraded a certain way

ipwi vta taste h/ and find h/ tastes a certain way

isa pc emph [emphatic word]

See also: sa pc disc

ise pc disc for shame!

iska'amaw vta bail it out for h/

iska'an vti take water off it, bail it out

iska'amaw vta bail it out for h/ iska'ige vai s/he takes water off something, bails something out
iska'ibaan ni something to bail with or to soak up water with

iska'ibii vai s/he bails

(derived noun) iska'ibaan ni something to bail with or to soak up water with
iska'ige vai s/he takes water off something, bails something out

iskandan vti drain it dry (drinking it)

iskaso vai s/he is stranded by low water level, left high and dry

Paired with: iskate vii

iskate vii it (liquid or a body of water) goes down, dries up, is dried up, evaporates

Paired with: iskaso vai

iskatese vii

iskaabii vii it dries up, drains out, the water in it recedes

iskaakizige vai s/he runs out of fuel

iskigamide vii it boils down

Paired with: iskigamizo vai

iskigamizan vti boil it down

(detransitive) iskigamizige vai s/he boils things down (e.g., maple sap), is sugaring (verb of undergoing) iskigamizigaade vii it is boiled down (by someone), "they" boil it down (derived noun) iskigamizigan ni a sugar bush, a sugar camp
iskigamizigan ni a sugar bush, a sugar camp

iskigamiziganaak ni a frame for holding sap-boiling kettles

iskigamiziganaatig ni a sap-boiling pole

iskigamizigaade vii it is boiled down (by someone), "they" boil it down

iskigamizige vai s/he boils things down (e.g., maple sap), is sugaring

iskigamizige-giizis na April

iskigamizigewigamig ni a sap-boiling lodge

iskigamizo vai s/he boils down

iskigaa vai it (animate) stops dripping, leaking; it (animate) drains out, drains dry

Paired with: iskigaa vii

iskigaa vii it stops dripping, leaking; it drains out, drains dry

Paired with: iskigaa vai

ishkabi vai s/he is tired of sitting

ishkaabam vta tire of looking at h/

Paired with: ishkaabandan vti

ishkaabandan vti tire of looking at, watching it

Paired with: ishkaabam vta

ishkaabi vai s/he tires of looking or watching

ishkaakodiyebi vai s/he is tired of sitting on h/ rear end on something hard

ishkendam vai2 s/he feels tired about something, is disturbed, is upset

ishkendan vti feel tired of it, find it tiresome

Paired with: ishkenim vta

ishkenim vta feel tired about h/ or it (animate), find h/ or it (animate) tiresome

Paired with: ishkendan vti

ishkidiyebi vai h/ rear is tired from sitting

ishkigaabawi vai s/he is tired of standing

ishkigaade vai h/ leg is tired, legs are tired

ishkininjiishin vai h/ hand is tired, hands are tired (from doing something)

ishkishin vai s/he is tired of lying down

ishkode ni fire, a fire

(verb of making) ishkodeke vai s/he makes a fire
(derived noun) ishkodekaan ni something used to make a spark to set a fire: a lighter, a flint, a fire steel, a strike-a-light
(verb of being) ishkodewan vii it is on fire (verb of being) ishkodewi vai s/he is a fire (of the sun) (verb of possession) odishkodemi vai s/he has a fire or fires (derived noun) ishkodens ni a match
(verb of possession) odishkodensimi vai s/he has a match or matches
ishkode-bingwi ni ashes

ishkode-bingwiiwaaboo ni lye water

ishkode-jiimaan ni a steamboat, a ship

ishkode-makakoons ni a battery

ishkodekaan ni something used to make a spark to set a fire: a lighter, a flint, a fire steel, a strike-a-light

ishkodeke vai s/he makes a fire

ishkodens ni a match

ishkodewan vii it is on fire

Paired with: ishkodewi vai

ishkodewaabo ni [BL] alcohol (for drinking): liquor, spirits, whiskey

See also: ishkodewaaboo ni

ishkodewaaboo ni alcohol (for drinking): liquor, spirits, whiskey

See also: ishkodewaabo ni [BL]

ishkodewi vai s/he is a fire (of the sun)

Paired with: ishkodewan vii

ishkodewidaabaan na a train

See also: ishkodewidaabaan ni [RL]

ishkodewidaabaan ni [RL] a train

See also: ishkodewidaabaan na

ishkodewidaabaanikana ni a train track

ishkon vta reserve, save, leave h/

Paired with: ishkonan vti

ishkonamaw vta reserve, save, leave (it) for h/

ishkonan vti reserve, save, leave it

Paired with: ishkon vta

(benefactive) ishkonamaw vta reserve, save, leave (it) for h/ (detransitive) ishkonige vai s/he reserves, saves, leaves things (verb of undergoing) ishkonigaade vii it is reserved, saved, left (by someone), "they" reserve, save, leave it (verb of undergoing) ishkonigaazo vai s/he is reserved, saved, left (by someone), "they" reserve, save, leave h/ (derived noun) ishkonigan ni a reservation (US), a reserve (Canada)
ishkonazh vta spare h/ from killing

ishkonigan ni a reservation (US), a reserve (Canada)

ishkonigani-inaakonigewin ni a band resolution or law

ishkonigaade vii it is reserved, saved, left (by someone), "they" reserve, save, leave it

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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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.