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mazinijiishkiwagin vta mold image of h/ with clay

Paired with: mazinijiishkiwaginan vti

mazinijiishkiwaginan vti mold image of it with clay

Paired with: mazinijiishkiwagin vta

(detransitive) mazinijiishkiwaginige vai s/he molds images with clay
mazinijiishkiwaginige vai s/he molds images with clay

mazinijiishkiweba'wi vta

mazinikodan vti carve it in designs, sculpt it (by carving)

(derived noun) mazinikojigan na a carving; a statue; sculpture (detransitive) mazinikojige vai s/he carves, sculpts something (detransitive) mazinikodaaso vai s/he carves designs
mazinikodaaso vai s/he carves designs

mazinikojigan na a carving; sculpture; a statue

mazinikojige vai s/he carves, sculpts something

mazinisin vii it is imprinted, has a pattern or design

mazinishin vai s/he is imprinted, has a pattern or design

Paired with: mazinisin vii

mazinitoon vti make a representation or image of it; decorate it

Paired with: mazini' vta

(detransitive) mazinichige vai s/he makes a decoration (verb of undergoing) mazinichigaade vii it is repesented or depicted in an image; it is decorated (verb of undergoing) mazinichigaazo vai s/he is represented or depicted in an image (derived noun) mazinichigan na a statue, a figurine, an effigy, a doll
maziniigad vii it (sheet-like) has a design or pattern

Paired with: maziniigizi vai

maziniigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) has a design or pattern

Paired with: maziniigad vii

maziniingweshin h/ face has lines on it from lying on something

mazhiwe vai s/he has sexual intercourse

mazhii'an vti clear it (land) off, brush it

(detransitive) mazhii'ige vai s/he clears land, brushes (derived noun) mazhii'igan ni a cut-over clearing
Mazhii'iganing name place Garrison, Minnesota
mazhii'igan ni a cut-over clearing

mazhii'ige vai s/he clears land, brushes

mazhiiyaabide vai s/he is toothless

mazhiiyaabidebizh vta pull all of h/ teeth out

mazhiiyaabideganaam vta punch h/ teeth out

mazhoomin na [RL] a grape

mazhoominaaboo ni [RL] wine

See also: zhoominaaboo ni

maadadaawangose vai s/he starts walking on the beach

maadademo vai s/he starts to cry

maadagim vta start counting them (animate)

Paired with: maadagindan vti

maadagindan vti start counting, reading it

Paired with: maadagim vta

(detransitive) maadagindaaso vai s/he starts counting, starts reading
maadagindaaso vai s/he starts counting, starts reading

maadaginzo vai the month begins, it is the first (of the month)

maada'adoo vai s/he goes off following a trail

maada'adoon vti2 start following it (road or trail)

Paired with: maada'azh vta

maada'amaazo vai s/he starts singing

maada'an vti scrape the hair and fat from it (a skin)

(detransitive) maada'ige vai s/he scrapes hides (derived noun) maada'igan ni a hide scraper (for removing hair); a hide scraper, a flesher
maada'azh vta go off following h/ trail

Paired with: maada'adoon vti2

maada'igan ni a hide scraper, a flesher; a hide scraper (for removing hair)

maada'ige vai s/he scrapes hides

maada'ookii vai + o s/he distributes something, distributes gifts, shares something with others

(derived noun) maada'ookiiwin ni distribution; a gift for distribution
maada'ookiiwikwe na a woman in charge of the distribution of gifts

maada'ookiiwin ni a gift for distribution; distribution

maada'ookiiwinini na [BL] a man in charge of the distribution of gifts; a band councillor

maada'oonidiwag vai they distribute (something) to each other, share (something) among each other

maada'oozh vta distribute (it) to, share (it) with h/

(reciprocal) maada'oonidiwag vai they distribute (something) to each other, share (something) among each other
maadakamigad vii it starts, begins (as an event)

Paired with: maadakamigizi vai

maadakamigizi vai s/he starts, begins (in some event)

Paired with: maadakamigad vii

maadam vta start eating, start chewing h/

Paired with: maadandan vti

maadamandam vai s/he starts to have pain

maadanaamo vai s/he starts breathing

maadandan vti start eating, start chewing it

Paired with: maadam vta

(detransitive) maadanjige vai s/he starts eating, starts chewing
maadanjige vai s/he starts eating, starts chewing

maadanokaadan vti start working on it

Paired with: maadanokaazh vta

maadanokaazh vta start working on h/

Paired with: maadanokaadan vti

maadanokii vai s/he starts working

(applicative) maadanokaadan vti start working on it (applicative) maadanokaazh vta start working on h/
maadanoozo vai s/he starts smoking (tobacco)

maadashkime vai s/he starts weaving snowshoe webbing

maadataadiwag they start to play (a game or contest), start to contend

maadawinzo vai s/he starts to pick berries

maadaaboode vii it drifts off on the current

Paired with: maadaaboozo vai

maadaaboono vai s/he drift off on the current

maadaaboozo vai s/he drifts off on the current

Paired with: maadaaboode vii

maadaadagaako vai s/he starts off on the ice

maadaadagaazii vai s/he starts to wade off

maadaada'e vai s/he starts skating

maadaadizi vai s/he starts a journey

maadaadodan vti start telling about it

Paired with: maadaajim vta

maadaagimose vai s/he starts out on snowshoes, leaves on snowshoes

maadaagiwebishkige vai [BL] s/he starts bicycling, starts riding a bicycle

maadaa'an vii it drifts off on the waves

Paired with: maadaa'ogo vai

maadaa'ogo vai s/he drifts off on the waves

See also: maadaa'an vii

maadaajim vta start telling of h/

Paired with: maadaadodan vti

maadaajimo vai s/he starts to tell

(applicative) maadaajimotaw vta start telling (it) to h/
maadaajimotaw vta start telling (it) to h/

maadaakide vii it starts burning

Paired with: maadaakizo vai

maadaakizo vai s/he starts burning

Paired with: maadaakide vii

maadaanagidoon vai [S] s/he starts off talking

maadaanagidoone vai [N] s/he starts off talking

See also: maadaanagidoon vai [S]

maadaandawe vai s/he starts off climbing

maadaanike vai s/he starts digging

maadaanimad vii the wind starts to blow; the wind picks up

maadaapi vai s/he leaves laughing

maadaasin vii it starts being blown away; it begins to sail away, begins to soar away

Paired with: maadaashi vai

maadaaso vai s/he starts shining

Paired with: maadaate vii

maadaashi vai s/he starts being blown away (by the wind); s/he begins to sail away, soar away

Paired with: maadaasin vii

maadaate vii it starts shining

Paired with: maadaaso vai

maadaatese the movie or show starts

maadaawadaaso vai s/he starts to haul freight

maadaawadoon vti2 start hauling it

Paired with: maadaawazh vta

(detransitive) maadaawajige vai s/he starts to haul things away (detransitive) maadaawadaaso vai s/he starts to haul freight
maadaawajige vai s/he starts to haul things away

maadaawanidiwag vai they start off in a group

maadaawazh vta start hauling h/ away

Paired with: maadaawadoon vti2

(reciprocal) maadaawanidiwag vai they start off in a group
maadaazhagaame vai s/he starts off along the shore

maadaazhagaamebatoo vai s/he starts running along the shore

maadingwaam vai [S] s/he starts sleeping

maadizh vta operate on h/; perform sugery on h/; start cutting h/

Paired with: maadizhan vti See also: maadizhwi [NI]

maadizhan vti start cutting it

Paired with: maadizh vta ; maadizhwi [NI]

(detransitive) maadizhige vai s/he starts cutting
maadizekwe vai s/he starts cooking

maadizhige vai s/he starts cutting

maadizhwi [NI] start cutting h/

maadoode vai s/he crawls off

maadoom vta carry h/ off on h/ back

Paired with: maadoondan vti

maadoondan vti carry it off on the back

Paired with: maadoom vta

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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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.