Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

mashkosiikaa vii there is a lot of hay, a meadow

mashkosiike vai s/he cuts hay

mashkosiinsiwakamigaa vii it (the ground) is grassy

mashkosiiwakamigaa vii it (the ground) is grassy (with high grass)

mashkosiiwitigweyaa vii it is a grassy river

mashwe na [LL] [RL] a shawl

See also: moshwe na [ML]

mashwens na [LL] [RL] a handkerchief

See also: moshwens ni

mawadisidiwag vai they visit each other

mawadisidiwin ni a visit

mawadish vta visit h/

(detransitive) mawadishiwe vai s/he visits people (reciprocal) mawadisidiwag vai they visit each other
(derived noun) mawadisidiwin ni a visit
mawadishiwe vai s/he visits people

mawi vai s/he cries, weeps

(causative) moo' vta make h/ cry (verb of pretending) mawikaazo vai s/he pretends to cry (verb of pretending) mawiikaazo vai s/he pretends to cry (verb of addiction) mawishki vai s/he is always crying, is a crybaby mawiinsiwi vai s/he cries a little (applicative) mawim vta cry for h/ (applicative) mawindan vti cry after it, cry for it (something going away or missing)
(benefactive) mawindamaw vta cry for something of h/
(detransitive) mawindamaage vai s/he cries for something (that someone has)
mawibii vai s/he cries while drinking

mawikaazo vai s/he pretends to cry

mawim vta cry for h/

Paired with: mawindan vti

mawinadan vti run at, rush at, charge it

Paired with: mawinazh vta

mawinanidiwag vai they rush at, charge, attack each other; they rush at, charge, attack in a group

mawinazh vta run at, rush at, charge, attack h/

Paired with: mawinadan vti

(detransitive) mawinazhiwe vai s/he runs at, rushes at people (reciprocal) mawinanidiwag vai they rush at, charge, attack each other; they rush at, charge, attack in a group
mawinazhiwe vai s/he runs at, rushes at people

mawindamaw vta cry for something of h/

mawindamaage vai s/he cries for something (that someone has)

mawindan vti cry after it, cry for it (something going away or missing)

Paired with: mawim vta

(benefactive) mawindamaw vta cry for something of h/
(detransitive) mawindamaage vai s/he cries for something (that someone has)
mawine' vta charge, challenge, attack h/

Paired with: mawine'an vti

(reciprocal) mawine'odiwag vai they charge, challenge, attack each other
mawine'an vti charge, challenge, attack it

Paired with: mawine' vta ; mawine'wi vta [NI]

(detransitive) mawine'ige vai s/he confronts someone, attacks, goes after someone with vengance
mawine'ige vai s/he confronts someone, attacks, goes after someone with vengance

mawine'odiwag vai they charge, challenge, attack each other

mawine'wi vta [NI] charge, challenge, attack h/

► mawine' vta

mawingwaam vai [S] s/he cries in h/ sleep

mawingwaami vai [N] s/he cries in h/ sleep

See also: mawingwaami vai [N]

mawingwaamo vai [BL] s/he cries in h/ sleep

See also: mawingwaam vai [S] ; mawingwaami vai [N]

mawinzo vai s/he picks berries

(applicative) mawinzwaadan vti pick it (fruit or berries) (applicative) mawinzwaazh vta pick h/ (fruit or berries)
mawinzwaadan vti pick it (fruit or berries)

Paired with: mawinzwaazh vta

mawinzwaan ni a picked berry

mawinzwaazh vta pick h/ (fruit or berries)

Paired with: mawinzwaadan vti

mawishki vai s/he is always crying, is a crybaby

mawiikaazo vai s/he pretends to cry

mawiinsiwi vai s/he cries a little

mayaganishinaabe na a Indian of a different or unfamiliar tribe

mayagendam vai2 s/he feels strange, feels out of place

mayagendan vti think it strange

Paired with: mayagenim vta

mayagendaagozi vai s/he is thought strange

Paired with: mayagendaagwad vii

mayagendaagwad vii it is thought strange

Paired with: mayagendaagozi vai

mayagenim vta think h/ strange

Paired with: mayagendan vti

mayagi- pv lex exotic; foreign; strange; unusual; different from the usual

mayagi-anishinaabe na a non-local Indian

mayagi-anishinaabemo vai s/he speaks a different dialect of Anishinaabemowin

mayagi-bine na a pheasant

[
ring-necked pheasant
; 
Phasianus colchicus
]

mayagigondaagane vai h/ voice sounds strange

mayagikawe vai s/he leaves strange tracks

mayagimaagozi vai s/he smells strange

Paired with: mayagimaagwad vii

mayagimaagwad vii it smells strange

Paired with: mayagimaagozi vai

mayagimaam vta find s/he smells strange

Paired with: mayagimaandan vti

mayagimaandan vti find it smells strange

Paired with: mayagimaam vta

mayaginan vti see it as strange or different

Paired with: mayaginaw vta

mayaginaw vta see h/ as strange or different

Paired with: mayaginan vti

mayaginaagozi vai s/he looks strange, looks foreign

Paired with: mayaginaagwad vii

mayaginaagwad vii it looks strange, looks foreign

Paired with: mayaginaagozi vai

mayagip vta find that it (animate) tastes strange

Paired with: mayagipidan vti

mayagipidan vti find it tastes strange

Paired with: mayagip vta

mayagipogozi vai s/he tastes strange, tastes unfamiliar

Paired with: mayagipogwad vii

mayagipogwad vii it tastes strange, tastes unfamiliar

Paired with: mayagipogozi vai

mayagitaagozi vai s/he sounds strange, sounds foreign, has an accent

Paired with: mayagitaagwad vii

mayagitaagwad vii it sounds strange, sounds foreign

Paired with: mayagitaagozi vai

mayagizi vai s/he is strange, is foreign

mayagwe vai s/he speaks a strange way, speaks a foreign language

mayagwemo vai s/he speaks a foreign language

mayagwewinini na a foreigner, a speaker of a foreign language

mayaajiibizod na-v engine

mayaawabi vai s/he sits up, sits straight up

mayaawakide vii it stands upright

Paired with: mayaawakizo vai

mayaawakidoon vti2 stand it up straight

Paired with: mayaawakizh vta

mayaawakizh vta stand it (animate) up straight

Paired with: mayaawakidoon vti2

mayaawakizo vai it (animate) stands upright

Paired with: mayaawakide vii

mayaawibani'o vai s/he gets h/self upright fast, jumps upright, straightens h/ self back up (as from a fall)

mayaawibidoon vti2 pull it up straight

Paired with: mayaawibizh vta

mayaawibizh vta pull h/ up straight

Paired with: mayaawibidoon vti2

mayaawin vta hold or turn h/ or it (animate) upright, hold or turn h/ or it (animate) straight up

Paired with: mayaawinan vti

mayaawinan vti hold or turn it upright, hold or turn it straight up

Paired with: mayaawin vta

mayaawisidoon vti2 put or set it upright, put or set it straight up

Paired with: mayaawishim vta

mayaawishim vta put or set h/ or it (animate) upright, put or set h/ or it (animate) straight up

Paired with: mayaawisidoon vti2

mayaawizi vai s/he is upright, perks up, comes alive

mazaanag na chaff from wild rice [plural]

mazaanaatig na nettle, thistle, thorn

(verb of abundance) mazaanaatigokaa vii there are (a lot of) thistles, burrs, thorns
mazaanaatigokaa vii there are (a lot of) thistles, burrs, thorns

mazhi vta have sexual intercourse with h/

mazina'amaw vta owe (it) to h/, get credit from h/, charge (it) (on an account with h/)

mazina'an vti buy it on credit, charge it to an account

(detransitive) mazina'ige vai s/he owes something, gets or has credit, buys on credit, charges to an account, goes into debt
(derived noun) mazina'igewin ni something owed: a bill, a debt, credit
(benefactive) mazina'amaw vta owe (it) to h/, get credit from h/, charge (it) (on an account with h/)
mazina'igan ni a book, a letter, a document, a paper

(verb of possession) omazina'igani vai s/he has a book or books, has a document or documents
mazina'igan na

mazina'igani-makak ni a cardboard box

mazina'igani-mashkimodens ni a paper sack, a paper bag

mazina'igani-zhooniyaa na paper money

mazina'iganiiwi-makak ni a mailbox

mazina'iganiiwi-mashkimod ni a mailbag

mazina'iganiiwidaabaan na a mail truck

mazina'iganiiwigamig ni a post office

mazina'iganiiwikwe na female mail deliverer; female post office clerk

mazina'iganiiwinini na a postman

(verb of being) mazina'iganiiwininiiwi vai s/he is a postman
mazina'iganiiwininiiwi vai s/he is a postman

mazina'igaans ni a small book or document: a ticket, a license

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.