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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

maajiiyaadagaa vai [S] s/he starts off swimming

maajiiyaadagaako vai s/he starts off on the ice

maajiiyaa'ogo vai [BL]

maajiiyaandawe vai s/he starts to climb

maajiiyaasin vii it starts to blow away

maajiiyaazhagaame vai s/he starts off along the shore

maajiiyoode vai s/he starts to crawl off

maajiizh vta take h/ away, take h/ along

Paired with: maajiidoon vti2

(detransitive) maajiizhiwe vai s/he takes people away, takes people along
maajiizhiwe vai s/he takes people away, takes people along

maakamanji'o vai s/he feels an injury

maakidooskwan vai s/he has a lame elbow

maakigaade vai s/he has a lame leg

maaki' vta injure h/

maakinaw vta shoot and wound h/

(detransitive) maakinaage vai s/he shoots and wounds game
maakinazh vta injure h/; wound h/

maakinaage vai s/he shoots and wounds game

maakinike vai s/he has a lame arm or lame arms

maakininjii vai h/ hand is injured, is maimed

maakise vai s/he limps

maakishin vai s/he is injured by falling or by hitting against something

maakishkaa vai s/he limps

maakishkoode vii it is marred, is nicked, is dented

Paired with: maakishkoozo vai

maakishkoozo vai it (animate) is marred, is nicked, is dented; s/he is wounded

Paired with: maakishkoode vii

maakizi vai s/he is lame, has an old injury

maakizide vai s/he has a lame foot

maamakaadakamig pc disc amazing! astonishing!

maamakaadendam vai2 s/he is amazed, is astonished

maamakaadendan vti be amazed at, be astonished at, wonder at it

Paired with: maamakaadenim vta

maamakaadendaagozi vai s/he is amazing, is astonishing, is a wonder

Paired with: maamakaadendaagwad vii

maamakaadendaagwad vii it is amazing, is astonishing, is a wonder

Paired with: maamakaadendaagozi vai

maamakaadenim vta be amazed at, be astonished at, wonder at h/

Paired with: maamakaadendan vti

(reflexive) maamakaadenindizo vai s/he is amazed at, astonished at h/ self
maamakaadenindizo vai s/he is amazed at, astonished at h/ self

maamakaadizi vai s/he amazes, astonishes

(verb of pretending) maamakaadiziikaazo vai s/he is a show-off, acts up
maamakaadiziikaazo vai s/he is a show-off, acts up

maamakaaj adv man strange, amazing, astonishing

maamakaajichige vai s/he does amazing things

maamakaajitoon vti2 do something amazing or strange to it

(detransitive) maamakaajichige vai s/he does amazing things
maamakaazaabi vai s/he stares in awe

maamakaazitaw vta be amazed at what h/ says

maamawi adv man together

maamawichige vai s/he gathers things; [pl] they get together to do something; they chip in, pool their money or resources

maamawigaabawiwag vai they stand together

maamawi' vta make them (animate) together; put them (animate) together, assemble them (animate)

Paired with: maamawitoon vti2

(reciprocal) maamawi'idiwag vai they assemble, meet together
maamawi'idiwag vai they assemble, meet together

maamawisidoon vti2 put them (inanimate) together, gather and put them (inanimate) together

Paired with: maamawishim vta

(detransitive) maamawisijige vai s/he puts things together (verb of undergoing) maamawisijigaade vii it is put together (by someone), "they" put it together
maamawisijigaade vii it is put together (by someone), "they" put it together

maamawisijige vai s/he puts things together

maamawishim vta put them (animate) together, gather and put them (animate) together

Paired with: maamawisidoon vti2

maamawitoon vti2 put them (inanimate) together, gather and put them (inanimate) together; make it together

Paired with: maamawi' vta

(detransitive) maamawichige vai s/he gathers things; [pl] they get together to do something; they chip in, pool their money or resources
maamawoo- pv lex together

maamawoobi' vta seat them (animate) together

maamawoobiwag vai they sit together, have a meeting

maamaagobizh vta keep pressing it (animate) with hand

maamaagojiibidoon vti2 squeeze it (something soft and hollow or belly-like) repeatedly; prime it

maamaagojiishkan vti pump on it (with body or foot)

maamaagon vta knead it (animate); press on it (animate) repeatedly

Paired with: maamaagonan vti

maamaagonan vti knead it; press on it repeatedly

Paired with: maamaagon vta

(detransitive) maamaagonige vai s/he kneads dough (derived noun) maamaagonigan na bannock; bannock dough
maamaagonigan na bannock; bannock dough

maamaagonige vai s/he kneads dough

maamaagoshkan vti press, squeeze it (with foot or body) off and on, pump it (with foot or body)

Paired with: maamaagoshkaw vta

maamaagoshkaw vta press, squeeze h/ (with foot or body) off and on, pump h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: maamaagoshkan vti

maamaagwegin ni [BL] denim

maamaagweginwe-midaas na [BL] jeans

maamaakaakide vii

maameshkodendam vai [BL] s/he keeps changing h/ mind

maamigin vta collect them (animate) together, gather them (animate)

Paired with: maamiginan vti

maamiginamaw vta collect (it) together for, gather (it) for h

maamiginan vti collect them (inanimate) together, gather them (inanimate)

Paired with: maamigin vta

(benefactive) maamiginamaw vta collect (it) together for, gather (it) for h (detransitive) maamiginige vai s/he collects something (verb of undergoing) maamiginigaade vii it is collected together, "they" collect it/them together (verb of undergoing) maamiginigaazo vai h/ is collected together, "they" collect them together
maamiginigaade vii it is collected together, "they" collect it/them together

maamiginigaazo vai h/ is collected together, "they" collect them together

maamiginige vai s/he collects something

maaminonaabam vta notice, catch sight of h/

Paired with: maaminonaabandan vti

maaminonaabandan vti notice, catch sight of it

Paired with: maaminonaabam vta

maaminonendam vai2 s/he thinks about, considers, realizes, notices something

maaminonendan vti think about, consider, realize, notice it; realize that it

Paired with: maaminonenim vta

maaminonenim vta think about, consider, realize about, notice about h/

Paired with: maaminonendan vti

maamiigwechiwi' vta give each of them (animate) thanks

maamiinose vii it goes right, goes straight

maamoozhagin vta keep picking them (animate) up; keep gathering, collecting them (animate)

maanabi vai
  1. s/he sits uncomfortably
  2. s/he is an uncomfortable or unmanageable position, isn't managing well

maanadamon vii [S] it (road or trail) is bad, is poor

maanadaawe vai s/he makes a bad purchase, gets a bad deal

maanadik na a goat

See also: maanadikosh na ; maanadikoshens na

maanadikosh na a goat

See also: maanadik na ; maanadikoshens na

maanadikoshens na a goat

See also: maanadik na ; maanadikosh na

maanagoode vii it hangs awkwardly

Paired with: maanagoojin vai

maanagoodoon vti2 hang it poorly

Paired with: maanagoozh vta

maanagoojin vai s/he hangs awkwardky

Paired with: maanagoode vii

maanagoozh vta hang h/ poorly

Paired with: maanagoodoon vti2

maana'amii vai s/he has trouble walking

maana'e vai s/he takes a bad shot

maanakamigad vii it is an unfortunate or tragic event

maanakamigaa vii it is poor ground, is rough ground

maanamaniso vai s/he has a bad premonition or sign

maanamanji'o vai s/he is in a bad state of mind: feels bad, depressed, sad, or out of sorts; s/he is in poor health, is ill

maanamanji'oshkine vai s/he feels bad from having a full stomach

maanameg na a catfish

[
channel catfish
; 
Ictalurus punctatus
]

maanamon vii it (road or trail) is bad, is poor

maananoons na an ironwood

[
eastern hornbeam
; 
Ostrya viginiana
]

(verb of abundance) maananoonsikaa vii there are (many) ironwood trees
maananoonsikaa vii there are (many) ironwood trees

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.