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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

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

mizhagaako vai s/he lands coming off the ice

mizhagaakoba'iwe vai s/he lands running off the ice in flight from someone

mizha'adoo vai s/he comes to the road or trail from the bush, gets to the trail

mizha'ajige vai s/he gets to the trail or track (of someone or something pursued)

mizha'azh vta arrive at, find h/ trail, h/ tracks

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

mizhakiiyaabiigagoode vti it hangs stringing down to the ground

mizhakwad vii the sky is clear; it is good weather

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

mizhine vai s/he catches an illness

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

mizho vta
  1. shoot and hit h/ or it (animate)
  2. impregnate her

Paired with: mizhodan vti

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

mizhodan vti shoot and hit it

Paired with: mizho vta

mizhwi vta [NI] shoot and hit h/ or it (animate); impregnate her

Paired with: mizhodam vai2 See also: 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

miidog

► iidog pc asp ; mii adv pred

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

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

miigaazh vta fight h/

Paired with: miigaadan vti

(reflexive) miigaanidizo vai s/he fights h /self
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
miikanaagoneshkige vai [BL] s/he makes a trail in the snow walking or snowshoeing

miikanaake vai s/he makes a road or trail; s/he breaks the trail

miikanaakewidaabaan na a road construction truck; a bulldozer

miikanaakewinini na a road worker

miikanaawan vii it is a road, is a trail

miikawaadad vii it is handsome, is beautiful

Paired with: miikawaadizi vai

miikawaadendan vti think it beautiful

Paired with: miikawaadenim vta

miikawaadendaagozi vai s/he is beautiful, is thought beautiful

Paired with: miikawaadendaagwad vii

miikawaadendaagwad vii it is beautiful, is thought beautiful

Paired with: miikawaadendaagozi vai

miikawaadenim vta think h/ beautiful

Paired with: miikawaadendan vti

miikawaadenimo vai s/he thinks h /self beautiful

miikawaadizi vai s/he is handsome, is beautiful; [BL] s/he is smart, clever, knows what s/he is doing

Paired with: miikawaadad vii

(verb of pretending) miikawaadiziikaazo vai [BL] s/he acts smart
miikawaadiziikaazo vai [BL] s/he acts smart

miikawinaagozi vai [BL] s/he is good-looking, is nice-looking

miikindizi vai s/he teases, provokes, irritates somebody

miikinji' vta provoke, tease, harass, bully h/

(reciprocal) miikinji'idiwag vai they provoke, tease, harass, bully each other (detransitive) miikinji'iwe vai s/he provokes, teases, harasses, bullies people
miikinji'idiwag vai they provoke, tease, harass, bully each other

miikinji'iwe vai s/he provokes, teases, harasses, bullies people

miikinzitaagozi vai s/he teases, provokes, irritates somebody vebally

miikinzom vta tease, provoke, irritate h/ by speech

miikinzondiwag vai they tease, provoke, irritate each other

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

Paired with: miikogin vii

miikogin vii it grows well

Paired with: miikogi vai

miikonan vti shoot it right on target, shoot and hit it

Paired with: miikonaw vta

(detransitive) miikonige vai s/he shoots something right on target, shoots and hits something (verb of undergoing) miikonigaade vii it is shot right on target (by someone), "someone" shoots it right on target (verb of undergoing) miikonigaazo vai s/he is shot right on target (by someone), "they" shoot h/ right on target
miikonaw vta shoot h/ right on target, shoot and hit h/

Paired with: miikonan vti

(detransitive) miikonaage vai s/he shoots someone (game) right on target, shoots and hits someone; s/he is a crack shot

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.