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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

minjikanaakobijigaade vii it is fenced, fenced in

minjikanaakobijige vai s/he fences something, fences something in

minjikanaakobizh vta fence h/ in

Paired with: minjikanaakobidoon vti2

minjikaawan na something worn on the hand: a mitten, a mitt, a glove

minjikaawani-biitoonigan na a mitt liner, an undermitt

minjikaawanike vai s/he makes a mitten or mittens

minjimapide vii it is tied down

Paired with: minjimapizo vai

minjimapidoon vti2 tie it down

Paired with: minjimapizh vta

minjimapizh vta tie h/ down

Paired with: minjimapidoon vti2

minjimapizo vai s/he is tied down

Paired with: minjimapide vii

minjimaakwa'igan ni a clothespin

minjimaakwaatig ni a support rail

minjimaakwii vai s/he clings, holds on (to something stick-like such as a railing or a handle)

minjimendam vai2 s/he holds something in h/ memory; s/he remembers

minjimendan vti keep it in h/ mind, remember it

Paired with: minjimenim vta

minjimenim vta keep h/ in h/ mind, remember h

Paired with: minjimendan vti

minjimin vta hold h/ in place, steady h/

Paired with: minjiminan vti

(reflexive) minjiminidizo vai s/he holds onto, restrains h/ self; s/he has self-control (reciprocal) minjiminidiwag vai they hold onto each other
minjiminamaw vta hold (it) in place for h/, steady (it) for h

minjiminan vti hold it in place, steady it

Paired with: minjimin vta

(benefactive) minjiminamaw vta hold (it) in place for h/, steady (it) for h (detransitive) minjiminige vai s/he holds things in place (verb of undergoing) minjiminigaade vii it is held in place (by someone), "they" hold it in place (verb of undergoing) minjiminigaazo vai s/he is held in place (by someone), "they" hold h/ in place (derived noun) minjiminigan ni a handle
minjiminidiwag vai they hold onto each other

minjiminidizo vai s/he holds onto, restrains h/ self; s/he has self-control

minjiminigan ni a handle

minjiminigaade vii it is held in place (by someone), "they" hold it in place

minjiminigaazo vai s/he is held in place (by someone), "they" hold h/ in place

minjiminige vai s/he holds things in place

minjimishkan vti hold it in place (with foot or body), steady it (with foot or body)

Paired with: minjimishkaw vta

minjimishkaw vta hold h/ in place (with foot or body), steady h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: minjimishkan vti

minjimishkoode vii it is pinned down, held in place (with weight)

Paired with: minjimishkoozo vai

minjimishkoodoon vti2 pin it down, hold it in place (with weight)

Paired with: minjimishkoozh vta

minjimishkoozh vta pin h/ down, hold h/ in place (with weight)

Paired with: minjimishkoodoon vti2

minjimishkoozo vai s/he is pinned down, held in place (with weight)

Paired with: minjimishkoode vii

minjimii vai s/he clings, holds on (to something stick-like: a handle, a railing)

minjinawe' vta make h/ feel regretful

minjinawezi vai s/he has regrets, is disappointed

mino- pv lex good; nice; well

mino-ayaa vai s/he is good, is fine, is well

mino-bimaadizi vai s/he lives well, leads a good life, has good health

(derived noun) mino-bimaadiziwin ni the good life
mino-bimaadiziwin ni the good life

mino-doodaw vta treat h/ well

mino-giizhigad vii it is a nice day

mino-giizhiganishi vai s/he has good travelling weather

mino-izhiwebad vii it is a good thing happening; it is nice weather

Paired with: mino-izhiwebizi vai

mino-izhiwebizi vai s/he behaves well, fares well, has good health

Paired with: mino-izhiwebad vii

mino-wiisini vai s/he eats well, likes what s/he eats

minobani'o vai s/he moves h/ body well, takes good steps in dancing

minobide vii it runs well (as a machine)

Paired with: minobizo vai

minobizo vai it (animate) runs well (as a machine); s/he drives well

Paired with: minobide vii

minobii vai s/he drinks and is merry

minobii'an vti write it well

(detransitive) minobii'ige vai s/he writes well (verb of undergoing) minobii'igaade vii it is written well (by someone), "they" write it well
minobii'igaade vii it is written well (by someone), "they" write it well

minobii'ige vai s/he writes well

minochige vai s/he does things well, does a good job

minodaabaane vai s/he has a nice car

minodaabii'iwe vai s/he drives well, is a good driver

minode vii it is well cooked

Paired with: minozo vai

minode'e vai s/he is kind, is generous

minogaabawi vai s/he is in good standing; s/he stands well

minogaamo vai s/he or it (animate) is plump, is nice and fat

minogaamonaagozi vai s/he or it (animate) looks plump, looks nice and fat

minogi vai s/he, it (animate) grows well

Paired with: minogin vii

minogi' vta grow h/ well

Paired with: minogitoon vti2

minogi'aawaso vai s/he raises h/ children in a good way

minogin vii it grows well

Paired with: minogi vai

minogitoon vti2 grow it well

Paired with: minogi' vta

minogii-mashkikiins ni

minogondaagan vai [S] s/he has a good voice, speaks well

See also: minogondaagane vai [N]

minogondaagane vai [N] s/he has a good voice, speaks well

Paired with: minogondaagan vai [S]

minogwaadan vti sew it well

Paired with: minogwaazh vta

minogwaade vii it is sewn well

Paired with: minogwaazo vai

minogwaaso vai s/he sews well

minogwaazh vta sew it (animate) well

Paired with: minogwaadan vti

minogwaazo vai it (animate) is sewn well

Paired with: minogwaade vii

minogweshin vai s/he lies with h/ neck in a good comfortable position

mino'o vai s/he dresses well

minokan vti fit it well

Paired with: minokaw vta

minokaw vta
  1. fit h/ well
  2. [inverse] it (something consumed) agrees with h/, does h/ good

See also: minokan vti

minokozh vta carve it (animate) nicely; give h/ a good haircut

(detransitive) minokozhiwe vai s/he gives people good haircuts
minokozhiwe vai s/he gives people good haircuts

minokozo vai s/he gets a good haircut

minokwanaye vai s/he is well-dressed

See also: minokwanaye vai

minomanji'o vai s/he feels good, is in good health

See also: minwamanji'o vai

minomaagochigan ni perfume

minomaagochige vai s/he uses perfume

minomaago' vta put perfume on h/; make h/ smell good

Paired with: minomaagotoon vti2

minomaagotoon vti2 make it smell good, put perfume on it

Paired with: minomaago' vta

(detransitive) minomaagochige vai s/he uses perfume (derived noun) minomaagochigan ni perfume
minomaagozi vai s/he smells good, has a good smell

Paired with: minomaagwad vii

minomaagwad vii it smells good, has a good smell

Paired with: minomaagozi vai

minomaagwegad vii it (sheet-like) smells good

Paired with: minomaagwegizi vai

minomaagwegizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) smells good

Paired with: minomaagwegad vii

minomaam vta like the smell of h/

Paired with: minomaandan vti

minomaandan vti like the smell of it

Paired with: minomaam vta

minomaas vta spread a good smell by cooking or burning h/

Paired with: minomaasan vti

minomaasan vti spread a good smell by cooking or burning it

Paired with: minomaas vta

minomaasige vai s/he spreads a good smell by cooking or burning something

minomaaso vai s/he smells good burning or cooking

Paired with: minomaate vii

minomaaswi vta [NI]

► minomaas vta

minomaate vii it smells good burning or cooking

Paired with: minomaaso vai

minonan vti hold, handle, grip it right

minonan vti like how it looks; it looks good to one

Paired with: minonaw vta

minonaw vta like how h/ looks; s/he looks good to one

Paired with: minonan vti

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.