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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

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 (by the wind); 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 h/ back

Paired with: maadoom vta

maadwewebizoni' vta start h/ (e.g., a car)

maadwewengwaami vai [RL] s/he starts to snore

maadwewetoo vai s/he begins to make sounds, begins to speak

maagizhaa adv man maybe; I think that..., perhaps, maybe

maagizhaa gaye adv man perhaps, maybe, might

See also: maagizhaa adv man

maagobidoon vti2 press, squeeze, or wring it to get liquid out

Paired with: maagobizh vta

maagobizh vta press, squeeze, or wring it (animate) to get liquid out

Paired with: maagobidoon vti2

maagojiibidoon vti2 squeeze it (something soft and hollow or belly-like)

Paired with: maagojiibizh vta

maagojiibizh vta squeeze h/ belly, squeeze h/ (something soft and hollow or belly-like)

Paired with: maagojiibidoon vti2

maagon vta press on h/ (with hand)

Paired with: maagonan vti

maagonamaw vta press on (it) for h/

maagonan vti press on it (with hand)

Paired with: maagon vta

(benefactive) maagonamaw vta press on (it) for h/ (detransitive) maagonige vai s/he presses on things (with hand) (verb of undergoing) maagonigaade vii it is pressed on (by someone with hand), "they" press on it (with hand) (verb of undergoing) maagonigaazo vai s/he is pressed on (by someone with hand), "they" press on h/ (with hand)
maagonigaade vii it is pressed on (by someone with hand), "they" press on it (with hand)

maagonigaazo vai s/he is pressed on (by someone with hand), "they" press on h/ (with hand)

maagonige vai s/he presses on things (with hand)

maagoshkan vti press, squeeze it (with foot or body)

Paired with: maagoshkaw vta

maagoshkaw vta press, squeeze h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: maagoshkan vti

maagoshkoodoon vti2 press it down [by weight]

Paired with: maagoshkoozh vta

maagoshkoozh vta press h/ down (by weight)

Paired with: maagoshkoodoon vti2

maagowebishkaw vta press down on h/ forcefully (with foot or body); kick start h/ (a motorcycle)

maagwam vta bite down on h/

Paired with: maagwandan vti

maagwandan vti bite down on it

Paired with: maagwam vta

(detransitive) maagwanjige vai s/he bites down on something
maagwanjige vai s/he bites down on something

maagwapidoon vti2 tie it down tight

Paired with: maagwapizh vta

maagwapizh vta tie h/ down tight

Paired with: maagwapidoon vti2

maagwapizon ni a corset, a girdle

maagwaakwa'an vti press on it with something stick-like; clamp it down

(derived noun) maagwaakwa'igan ni a vice
maagwaakwa'igan ni a vice

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.