Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

mitaakojiidii vai s/he is bare-assed

mitaakondibe vai s/he is bare-headed

mitaakwayawe vai s/he has a bare torso, is naked from the waist up, is topless

mitaakwayaweshimo vai s/he dances with a bare torso, topless

mitaakwazhe vai s/he is naked

mitaakwazhebizh vta strip h/ naked
(reflexive) mitaakwazhebinidizo vai s/he strips naked
mitaakwazhebi vai s/he sits naked

mitaakwazhebinidizo vai s/he strips naked

mitaakwazhebizh vta strip h/ naked

mitaakwazhegaabawi vai s/he stands naked

mitaakwazhengwaami vai [RL] s/he sleeps naked

mitaakwazheshimo vai s/he dances naked

mitaakwazheshin vai s/he lies naked, sleeps naked

mitaamik adv loc right on the bottom of a lake or river

mitaaskiiwe-bagizo vai [BL] s/he goes skinny-dipping

mitaawang ni sand

mitaawangaa vii it is a sandy beach

mitaawangaagamaa vii it is a sandy lake

mitaawangaamikaa vii there is a sandy bottom

mitaawango-mazina'igan ni (a piece of) sandpaper

mitaawangokaa vii [N] here is (a lot of) sand

mitaawangowan vii it is (of) sand, is sandy, has sand on it

Paired with: mitaawangowi vai

mitaawangowi vai s/he or it (animate) is (of) sand, is sandy, has sand on it

Paired with: mitaawangowan vii

mitaawangwakamigaa vii [NI] it (the ground) is sandy

mitaawangwiindimaa vii it (body of water) has a sandy bottom

mitaawiganeshin vai s/he lies with h/ back uncovered

mitig na a tree

(verb of abundance) mitigokaa vai there are (many) trees
mitig ni wood, a piece of wood, a stick

(verb of being) mitigowan vii it is wood, is wooden (verb of being) mitigowi vai s/he is wood, is wooden (verb of possession) omitigomi vai s/he has wood (derived noun) mitigoons ni a stick
mitigo-akandoowin ni a hunting stand in a tree

mitigo-desabiwin ni a wooden chair

mitigo-emikwaan ni a wooden spoon, a wooden ladle

See also: mitigwemikwaan ni

mitigo-jiimaan ni a wooden boat or canoe

mitigo-makak ni a wooden box, a crate

mitigo-negwaakwaan ni a wooden tap, spile, spigot (for getting sap from a tree)

See also: negwaakwaan ni

mitigo-waakaa'igan ni a log cabin

mitigo-zisiboojigan ni a rasp

mitigodaabaanaak na a wooden sled or sleigh

mitigokaa vai there are (many) trees

mitigomin na an acorn

See also: mitigomin ni

mitigomin ni an acorn

See also: mitigomin na

mitigominzh na burr oak; oak (common generic term for oak species)

[
burr oak
; 
Quercus macrocarpa
]

mitigomizh na burr oak

[
Quercus spp.; Quercus macrocarpa
]

► mitigominzh na

(verb of abundance) mitigomizhikaa vii there are (many) oaks; there is an oak grove
mitigomizhikaa vii there are (many) oaks; there is an oak grove

mitigonaagan ni a wooden dish or bowl

mitigoningwiishib na a wood duck

[
Aix sponsa
]

mitigowan vii it is wood, is wooden

mitigowi vai s/he is wood, is wooden

mitigoons ni a stick

mitigoonsiwi-giishkizhigan ni a branch-trimmer

mitigwakik na a Mide drum

mitigwakizin ni a dress shoe

mitigwanii'igan ni a deadfall trap

mitigwanwi ni an arrow

mitigwaab na [NI] [S] a bow

See also: mitigwaab ni [N]

(verb of making) mitigwaabiike vai s/he makes bows
(benefactive) mitigwaabiikaw vta make a bow for h/
(verb of possession) omitigwaabii vai s/he has a bow or bows (verb of possession) omitigwaabiimi vai s/he has a bow or bows
mitigwaab ni [N] a bow

See also: mitigwaab na [NI] [S]

mitigwaabaak na a hickory

[
shagbark hickory
; 
Carya ovata
]

mitigwaabiikaw vta make a bow for h/

mitigwaabiike vai s/he makes bows

mitigwaagim na a ski

mitigwaagimebizo vai [BL] s/he skis

mitigwemikwaan ni a wooden spoon, a wooden ladle

See also: mitigo-emikwaan ni

mitikwam adv loc right on the ice

mitin vta catch h/ in a violation

mitose vai s/he just walks, has no other means of transportation but walking

mitoode vai s/he just crawls

mitoom vta haul h/ right on the back

Paired with: mitoondan vti

mitoonagabi vai s/he sits right on the bottom of the canoe (with no cushion)

mitoondan vti carry it right on the back

Paired with: mitoom vta

mizay na a ling, an eelpout, a burbot, a mariah, a lawyer (fish)

[
burbot
; 
Lota lota
]

mizaatigo-zhaabonigan ni a sewing needle

mizid qnt num [BL] a foot (measurement)

► daso-mizid qnt num [BL]

mizideyiiginige vai s/he has cards of the same suite, has a flush

mizise na a turkey

[
Meleagris gallopavo
]

mizise-wiiyaas ni turkey meat

miziwe adv loc all over; everywhere

miziwe- pv lex whole, in one piece, intact

miziwebii'an vti write all over it

(detransitive) miziwebii'ige vai s/he writes all over something miziwebii'gaade vii it is written on all over (by someone), "they" write on it all over
miziwebii'gaade vii it is written on all over (by someone), "they" write on it all over

miziwebii'ige vai s/he writes all over something

miziwebiisaa vii [S] it's raining all over

miziwedin vii it is frozen all over

miziweganzhii vai s/he is hoofed, has a hoof or hooves

miziwe' vta make h/ of a whole piece

Paired with: miziwetoon vti2

miziwekamig adv loc all over the world

miziweminagad vii it (something small and round) is whole, is in one piece

miziweminagizi vai it (animate; something small and round) is whole, is in one piece

Paired with: miziweminagad vii

miziweshkaa vii it goes everywhere; it is everywhere; it spreads all over

miziweshkiganens ni [BL] a child's onesie

miziwetoon vti2 make it of a whole piece

Paired with: miziwe' vta

miziweyaa vii it is whole, is intact

Paired with: miziwezi vai

miziweyaabikizi vai s/he is full (as something mineral; e.g., the moon)

miziweyaakwadin vii it is frozen solid in one piece, is frozen all over

miziweyaanakwad vii it is cloudy all over

miziweyaandawe vai s/he climbs all over

miziweyiigad vii it (sheet-like) is whole, is in one piece

Paired with: miziweyiigizi vai

miziweyiigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is whole, is in one piece

Paired with: miziweyiigad vii

miziwezi vai s/he is whole, is intact

miziwezigwaa vii it (something in a cake or bar) is whole, is in one piece

miziwezhaazo vai s/he urinates all over

mizizaak na a horse fly

mizizaakoons na a deer fly

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.