Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

maanapide vii it is poorly tied

Paired with: maanapizo vai

maanapidoon vti2 tie it poorly

Paired with: maanapizh vta

maanapizh vta tie h/ poorly

Paired with: maanapidoon vti2

maanapizo vai s/he is poorly tied

Paired with: maanapide vii

maanashigan na a sheepshead (fish)

[
freshwater drum
; 
Aplodinotus grunniens
]

maanashkime vai s/he weaves snowhoe webbing poorly

maanashkinataaso vai s/he packs things poorly

maanashkinatoon vti2 fill it poorly, fit it in poorly

(detransitive) maanashkinataaso vai s/he packs things poorly
maanashkine vii it doesn't fit right (in a container), is badly filled

maanataan na an animal taken for its pelt; a fur-bearer

maanataanadaawewinini na [NI] a fur-buyer

See also: maanataaniiwinini na [NI]

maanataanish na [BL] a sheep

See also: maanishtaanish na [MN]

maanataaniiwinini na [NI] a fur-buyer

See also: maanataanadaawewinini na [NI]

maanazaadi na a Balm of Gilead tree; a balsam poplar

[
balsam poplar
; 
Populus balsamifera
]

maanaabadad vii it is misused

Paired with: maanaabadizi vai

maanaabadizi vai it (animate) is misused

Paired with: maanaabadad vii

maanaabaji' vta misuse h/

Paired with: maanaabajitoon vti2

maanaabajitoon vti2 misuse it

Paired with: maanaabaji' vta

maanaabam vta have a bad dream about h/; don't like how it looks

maanaabandam vai2 s/he has a bad dream, had a nightmare

maanaabandan vti have bad dreams of it; don't like how it looks

maanaabide vai s/he has crooked teeth

maanaadad vii it is bad, is no good, is ugly

Paired with: maanaadizi vai

maanaadizi vai s/he is ugly, is homely

Paired with: maanaadad vii

maanaadodan vti tell bad news of it

maanaagamide vii it is poorly brewed

maanaagamin vii it (a liquid) tastes bad

maanaagamipidan vti find that it (liquid) tastes bad

maanaagamisin vii it (a liquid) turns bad, sours

maanaagamitoon vti2 make it (a liquid) poorly

maanaagiyawe vai s/he has a poor body build, has poor posture

maanaaji' vta make h/ wrong, make h/ odd

Paired with: maanaajitoon vti2

maanaajimo vai s/he tells a bad story, tells bad news

maanaajitoon vti2 make it wrong, make it odd

Paired with: maanaaji' vta

maanaakiz vta take a poor picture of h/

Paired with: maanaakizan vti

maanaakizan vti take a poor picture of it

Paired with: maanaakiz vta

maanaate vii it has a poor light

maanaatese vii it is a bad movie, is a poor movie

maanendam vai2 s/he is in a bad state of mind: feels bad, depressed, sad, or out of sorts

(derived noun) maanendamowin ni sadness
maanendaminaagozi vai s/he looks distraught, looks sad

maanendamo' vta make h/ depressed; make h/ sad

maanendamowin ni sadness

maanendan vti think or consider it bad, poor, or disagreeable

Paired with: maanenim vta

maanendaagozi vai s/he is thought bad, is thought poor, is thought disagreeable

Paired with: maanendaagwad vii

maanendaagwad vii it is thought bad, is thought poor, is thought disagreeable

Paired with: maanendaagozi vai

maanenim vta think or consider h/ bad, poor, or disagreeable

Paired with: maanendan vti

maang na a loon

[
common loon
; 
Gavia immer
]

maango-giizis na [BL] April

maangogwan na a loon feather

maangwazison ni [BL] a loon's nest

maanikamii vai s/he has uneven footing

maanikozh vta give h/ a bad haircut

(detransitive) maanikozhiwe vai s/he gives people bad haircuts
maanikozhiwe vai s/he gives people bad haircuts

maanikozo vai s/he has a bad haircut

maanin vta hold, handle h/ wrong

Paired with: maaninan vti

maaninan vti hold, handle it wrong

Paired with: maanin vta

maaninaagozi vai s/he or it (animate) looks bad, looks iugly

Paired with: maaninaagwad vii

maaninaagwad vii it looks bad, looks ugly

Paired with: maaninaagozi vai

maanishtaanish na [MN] a sheep

[
domestic sheep
; 
Ovis aries
]

maanishtaanishens na a lamb

maanishtaanishi-wiiyaas ni lamb [meat]

maanishtaanishiwayaan ni a sheepskin

maanishtaanishiiwinini na a sheep farmer; a shepherd

maanitam vai2 s/he doesn't hear right, mishears, misunderstands

maanitan vti it sounds bad to h/, doesn't sound right to h/

Paired with: maanitaw vta

maanitaw vta dislike what h/ says or sounds like; find what h/ says or sounds like disagreeable

Paired with: maanitan vti

maanitaagozi vai s/he sounds bad, doesn't sound right

Paired with: maanitaagwad vii

maanitaagwad vii it sounds bad, doesn't sound right

Paired with: maanitaagozi vai

maanose vai s/he walks with discomfort

maanowe vai s/he is hoarse, has a bad voice

maanoo adv man don't; don't care; let it be; never mind

maanwewebide vii it sounds bad running [motor]

maashkinoozhe na a muskellunge

[
Esox masquinongy
]

maawandoobiwag vai they sit together

maawandoogindan vti total it up (as an account)

(detransitive) maawandoogindaaso vai s/he totals up (as an account)
maawandoogindaaso vai s/he totals up (as an account)

maawandoogwaadan vti sew it together (e.g., pieces for a quilt)

Paired with: maawandoogwaazh vta

maawandoogwaaso vai s/he sews things together, does patchwork (as in making a quilt)

(derived noun) maawandoogwaason ni a quilt
(verb of making) maawandoogwaasonike vai s/he makes a quilt
(derived noun) maawandoogwaasonikaan ni a quilt (being made) (verb of use) maawandoogwaasonikaagen vai + o use (it) for quilting
maawandoogwaason ni a quilt

maawandoogwaasonikaagen vai + o use (it) for quilting

maawandoogwaasonikaan ni a quilt (being made)

maawandoogwaasonike vai s/he makes a quilt

maawandoogwaazh vta sew h/ together

Paired with: maawandoogwaadan vti

maawandoonan vti bring them (inanimate) together

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

Paired with: maawandooshim vta

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

Paired with: maawandoosidoon vti2

maawandooweba'an vti gather it or them (inanimate) together (using something forcibly): beat it together, rake them together

maawanji' vta collect h/

Paired with: maawanjitoon vti2

(reciprocal) maawanji'idiwag vai they come together, meet with each other, have a meeting (detransitive) maawanji'iwe vai s/he gets people together
maawanji'idiwag vai they come together, meet with each other, have a meeting

maawanji'iwe vai s/he gets people together

maawanjitoon vti2 collect it

Paired with: maawanji' vta

maawiin adv man [BL] maybe; no doubt

See also: gaa maawiin adv man [BL]

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

maazhendam vai2 s/he feels poorly

maazhendaagwad vii it is a sad situation, is a bad situation

maazhi- pv lex bad; ill-formed

maazhi-ayaa vai s/he is bad-off; s/he is in poor health, is ill

maazhi-bimaadizi vai s/he behaves badly; s/he leads a bad life

maazhi-giizhigad vii it is a bad day

maazhi-izhiwebizi vai s/he behaves badly

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.

  • Audio recordings
  • Images
  • Video
  • Documents

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.