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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

inweweyaashkaa vii waves make a certain sound

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

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

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

Paired with: iskigaa vai

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

Paired with: iskigaa vii

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 a lighter
(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 a lighter

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 ni [RL] a train

See also: ishkodewidaabaan na

ishkodewidaabaan na a train

See also: ishkodewidaabaan ni [RL]

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

ishkonigaazo vai s/he is reserved, saved, left (by someone), "they" reserve, save, leave h/

ishkonige vai s/he reserves, saves, leaves things

ishkozhamaw vta leave (something) uncut for h/

ishkozhan vti leave it uncut

Paired with: ishkozhwi vta [NI]

(detransitive) ishkozhige vai s/he leaves something uncut (verb of undergoing) ishkozhigaade vii it is left uncut (by someone), "they" leave it uncut (derived noun) ishkozhigan ni something left uncut (benefactive) ishkozhamaw vta leave (something) uncut for h/
ishkozhigan ni something left uncut

ishkozhigaade vii it is left uncut (by someone), "they" leave it uncut

ishkozhige vai s/he leaves something uncut

ishkozhwi vta [NI] leave it (animate) uncut

Paired with: ishkozhan vti

ishkwam vta leave h/ behind uneaten

Paired with: ishkwandan vti

ishkwandamaw vta save, leave (some food) for h/

ishkwandan vti leave it behind uneaten

Paired with: ishkwam vta

(benefactive) ishkwandamaw vta save, leave (some food) for h/ (detransitive) ishkwanjige vai s/he leaves leftovers (verb of undergoing) ishkwanjigaade vii it is left over from eating (by someone), "they" leave left-over food (verb of undergoing) ishkwanjigaazo vai it (animate) is left over from eating (by someone), "they" leave it (animate) as leftovers (derived noun) ishkwanjigan ni leftover food
ishkwanjigan ni leftover food

ishkwanjigaade vii it is left over from eating (by someone), "they" leave left-over food

ishkwanjigaazo vai it (animate) is left over from eating (by someone), "they" leave it (animate) as leftovers

ishkwanjige vai s/he leaves leftovers

ishkwaya'ii adv loc last; on the edge; on the rim

ishkwaa- pv lex when something has stopped, is over, is done; after

ishkwaa-anama'e-giizhigad vii it is Monday

ishkwaa-ayaa vai s/he dies; s/he passes away

ishkwaa-aabitaa-dibikad vii it is after mid-night

ishkwaa-naawakwe vii it is afternoon

ishkwaabiisaa vii the rain is over

See also: ishkwaabiisaan vii [BL]

ishkwaabiisaan vii [BL] the rain is over

See also: ishkwaabiisaa 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.

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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.