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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

mizhakandoo vai

mizhakiise vai s/he hits or touches the bottom, hits the ground

Paired with: mizhakiise vii

mizhakiise vii it hits or touches the bottom, hits the ground

Paired with: mizhakiise vai

mizhakiisidoon vti2 drop it to the ground

mizhakwad vii the sky is clear; it is good weather

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

[
burbot
; 
Lota lota
]

mizhaakigwe vai s/he gets a cold, catches a cold

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

mizhine vai s/he catches an illness

mizise na a turkey

[
Meleagris gallopavo
]

mizise-wiiyaas ni turkey meat

mizhisha adv loc in plain view, out in the open

mizhishawabi vai s/he sits out in the open

mizhishawakide vii it stands, is set up out in the open

Paired with: mizhishawakizo vai

mizhishawakizo vai it is set up, stands out in the open

Paired with: mizhishawakide vii

mizhishawate vii it is a large and bare room

mizhishawaya'ii in plain view, out in the open

mizhishawigaabawi vai s/he stands out in the open

mizhishawikwam adv loc out in the open on the ice

mizhishawisin vii it lies in the open

Paired with: mizhishawishin vai

mizhishawishin vai s/he lies in the open

Paired with: mizhishawisin vii

miziwe adv loc all over; everywhere

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

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

miziwezhaazo vai s/he urinates all over

miziwezi vai s/he is whole, is intact

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

mizizaak na a horse fly

mizizaakoons na a deer fly

mizizi vai s/he catches a disease; s/he starts to get sick

mizho vta shoot and hit h/; impregnate her

Paired with: mizhodan vti

mizhodam vai2 s/he hits the target; s/he wins

mizhodan vti hit it (in shooting)

Paired with: mizho vta

mizhwi vta [NI]

► mizho vta

mii adv pred it is thus that..., it is that...

mii dash adv conj and then

miidaapi vai s/he shits from laughing so hard

miidingwaam vai s/he dirties the bed

miidingwaami vai [RL] s/he dirties the bed

See also: miidingwaam vai

miigaadan vti fight it

Paired with: miigaazh vta

miigaadendam vai2 s/he feels like fighting

miigaadenim vta think of h/ as an enemy or adversary; feel like fighting h/

(reciprocal) miigaadenindiwag vai they feel like fighting each other; they think of each other as enemies or adversaries
miigaadenindiwag vai they think of each other as enemies or adversaries; they feel like fighting each other

miigaadikwewe vai he fights, assaults h/ wife

miigaadinoke vai s/he starts a fight, is the instigator of a fight

miigaadiwag vai they fight each other

(derived noun) miigaadiwin ni a battle, a war
miigaadiwin ni a battle, a war

miigaanidizo vai s/he fights h /self

miigaazh vta fight h/

Paired with: miigaadan vti

(reflexive) miigaanidizo vai s/he fights h /self
miigaazo vai s/he fights

(verb of addiction) miigaazoshki vai s/he is pugacious, always wants to fight
miigaazoshki vai s/he is pugacious, always wants to fight

miigis na a Mide shell, a pearl

miigisi-apikan ni

miigiwe vai s/he gives something, gives things away

See also: miigiwen vai + o

(derived noun) miigiwewin ni a gift; giving things away
miigiwen vai + o s/he gives (it) away

miigiwewin ni a gift; giving things away

miigwan na a feather

(verb of possession) omiigwani vai s/he has a feather or feathers
miigwani-gikiwe'on ni an eagle feather staff

miigwani-wiiwakwaan ni a feather headdress, a feather bonnet

miigwanigwaade vii it is embroidered with a feather design

miigwech pc disc thanks!

miigwechiwendam vai2 s/he is thankful, is grateful

miigwechiwendan vti be thankful, be grateful for it

Paired with: miigwechiwenim vta

miigwechiwenim vta be thankful for h/

Paired with: miigwechiwendan vti

miigwechiwi- pv lex thanks

miigwechiwi-giizhigad vii it is Thanksgiving Day

miigwechiwi-wiikondiwin ni thanksgiving feast

miigwechiwi' vta thank h/

miigwechiwitaagozi vai s/he gives thanks, thanks others

miijidan vti shit on it

Paired with: miijizh vta

miijim ni food

miijimadaawe vai s/he buys food

miijimikandan vti [S] bait it

(detransitive) miijimikanjige vai [S] s/he baits things (derived noun) miijimikanjigan ni [S] bait
miijimikanjigan ni [S] bait

miijimikanjige vai [S] s/he baits things

miijin vti3 eat it

Paired with: amo vta

miijinaaniwan vii it is edible, is good to eat

Paired with: miijinaaniwizi vai

miijinaaniwizi vai it (animate) is edible, is good to eat

Paired with: miijinaaniwan vii

miijinidizo vai s/he shits h/ self

miijizh vta shit on h/

Paired with: miijidan vti

(reflexive) miijinidizo vai s/he shits h/ self
miikana ni a road, a trail, a path

(verb of making) miikanaake vai s/he makes a road or trail; s/he breaks the trail (verb of being) miikanaawan vii it is a road, is a trail

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.