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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

n= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

na pc disc [yes-no question word]

See also: ina pc disc

nabagada' vta pound it (animate) flat (using a stick or stick-like tool)

Paired with: nabagada'an vti See also: nabagada'wi vta [NI]

nabagada'an vti pound it flat (using a stick or stick-like tool)

Paired with: nabagada'wi vta [NI]

nabagada'igan ni oatmeal; porridge

nabagada'wi vta [NI] pound it (animate) flat (using a stick or stick-like tool)

Paired with: nabagada'an vti See also: nabagada' vta

nabagaa vii it is flat

Paired with: nabagizi vai

nabagaabide vai s/he has flat teeth

nabagaabik na a flat rock

nabagaabikad vii it is flat (as something mineral)

Paired with: nabagaabikizi vai

nabagaabikizi vai it (animate; mineral) is flat

Paired with: nabagaabikad vii

nabagaakokodan vti carve it flat

Paired with: nabagaakokozh vta

nabagaakokozh vta carve it (animate) flat

Paired with: nabagaakokodan vti

nabagaanowe vai s/he (an animal) has a flat tail

nabagaasin vii it is blown flat

Paired with: nabagaashi vai

nabagaashi vai it (animate) is blown flat

Paired with: nabagaasin vii

nabagi- pv lex flat

nabagi-jiimaan ni a flat-bottomed boat, a barge

nabagidaabaan na a toboggan: a long sled without runners

nabagidaabaanaak na a toboggan: a long sled without runners

nabagidaamikane vai s/he has a flat chin

nabagi' vta make h/ flat

Paired with: nabagitoon vti2

nabagijaane vai s/he has a flat nose

nabagijiishin vai s/he has a flat tire

nabagikoozhe vai s/he has a flat bill

nabagin vta flatten h/ (by hand)

Paired with: nabaginan vti

nabaginan vti flatten it (by hand)

Paired with: nabagin vta

nabagisag na a board, a plank

nabagisago-jiimaan ni a wooden boat or canoe

nabagise vai s/he or it (animate) goes flat suddenly

Paired with: nabagise vii

nabagise vii it goes flat suddenly

Paired with: nabagise vai

nabagishkan vti flatten it (with foot or body)

Paired with: nabagishkaw vta

nabagishkaw vta flatten h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: nabagishkan vti

nabagishkaa vii it flattens, goes flat

Paired with: nabagishkaa vai

nabagishkaa vai s/he or it (animate) flattens, goes flat

Paired with: nabagishkaa vii

nabagishkoode vii it is flattened (by weight or pressure)

Paired with: nabagishkoozo vai

nabagishkoodoon vti2 flatten it (by weight or pressure)

Paired with: nabagishkoozh vta

nabagishkoozh vta flatten h/ (by weight or pressure)

Paired with: nabagishkoodoon vti2

nabagishkoozo vai s/he or it (animate) is flattened (by weight or pressure)

Paired with: nabagishkoode vii

nabagitoon vti2 make it flat

Paired with: nabagi' vta

nabagizi vai s/he or it (animate) is flat

Paired with: nabagaa vii

nabagizide vai s/he has flat feet

nabagiigad vii it (sheet-like) is flat

Paired with: nabagiigizi vii

nabagiigizi vii it (animate; sheet-like) is flat

Paired with: nabagiigad vii

nabagiingwe vai s/he has a flat face

nabane-aya'ii adv loc on one side

nabanegaade vai s/he has only one leg

nabanegaadeshimo vai s/he dances on one leg

(derived noun) nabanegaadeshimowin ni a one-legged dance
nabanegaadeshimowin ni a one-legged dance

nabanekizine vai s/he has only one shoe on

nabanenike vai s/he has only one arm

nabaneningwii vai s/he has only one wing

nabaneninjii vai s/he has only one hand

nabaneya'ii adv loc on one side

nabaneyaabi vai it (animate) has only one headlight; s/he sees with one eye

nabaneyiigin ni the back of a page; the verso

nabanezide vai s/he has only one foot

nabobizo vai s/he drives making a return trip

nabogaadeshkoozo vai s/he is caught with h/ legs doubled up

nabon vta fold h/ over

Paired with: nabonan vti

nabonan vti fold it over

Paired with: nabon vta

naboninjiishkoozo vai [BG] [BL] s/he is caught with hands or forepaws doubled up

nabozideshkoozo vai s/he is caught with feet or hindpaws doubled up

naboob ni soup, stew

(verb of making) naboobiike vai s/he makes a soup or stew
(benefactive) naboobiikaw vta make a soup or stew for h/ (applicative) naboobiikaazh vta make a soup or stew of it (animate) (applicative) naboobiikaadan vti make a soup or stew of it
(applicative) naboobiikaade vii it is made into a soup or stew (verb of being) naboobiiwan vii it is soupy (verb of possession) onaboobiimi vai s/he has soup
naboobii-emikwaan ni a soup ladle

naboobiikaw vta make a soup or stew for h/

naboobiikaadan vti make a soup or stew of it

Paired with: naboobiikaazh vta

naboobiikaade vii it is made into a soup or stew

Paired with: naboobiikaazo vai

naboobiikaazh vta make a soup or stew of it (animate)

Paired with: naboobiikaadan vti

naboobiikaazo vai it (animate) is made into a soup or stew

Paired with: naboobiikaade vii

naboobiike vai s/he makes a soup or stew

naboobiiwan vii it is soupy

naboobiiwinaaganens ni [BL] a soup bowl

nabwaabiigin vta double it (animate; string-like)

Paired with: nabwaabiiginan vti

nabwaabiiginan vti double it (string-like)

Paired with: nabwaabiigin vta

nabwegin vta fold it (animate; sheet-like) over, refold it (animate; sheet-like)

Paired with: nabweginan vti

nabweginan vti fold it (sheet-like) over, refold it (sheet-like)

Paired with: nabwegin vta

nagadam vta be used to eating h/

nagadamaw vta leave (it) behind for h/

nagadan vti leave it behind; abandon, outstrip it

Paired with: nagazh vta

(benefactive) nagadamaw vta leave (it) behind for h/
nagadandan vti be used to eating it

Paired with: nagadam vta

(detransitive) nagadanjige vai s/he is used to eating things
nagadanjige vai s/he is used to eating things

nagadanokii vai s/he is used to working

nagadendam vai2 s/he feels familiar, is getting familiar or friendly

nagadendan vti be used to, be familiar with it

Paired with: nagadenim vta

nagadenim vta be used to, familiar with, acquainted with h/

Paired with: nagadendan vti

(reciprocal) nagadenindiwag vai they are acquainted; they are friends (derived noun) nagadenimaagan na [BL] an acquaintance, a friend
nagadenimaagan na [BL] an acquaintance, a friend

nagadenindiwag vai they are acquainted; they are friends

naga' vta meet h/ by boat

naga'wi vta [NI] meet h/ by boat

► naga' vta

nagajiba' vta outrun h/; run away from h/ leaving h/ behind

nagajibidoon vti2 be used to handling it

Paired with: nagajibizh vta

nagajibizh vta be used to handling h/

Paired with: nagajibidoon vti2

nagajibizo vai s/he misses a ride

nagajibizonike vai s/he is used to driving

nagaji' vta be familiar with, accustomed to, used to h/ or it (animate); know how to handle h/ or it (animate), know how to make it (animate)

Paired with: nagajitoon vti2

(detransitive) nagaji'iwe vai s/he is used to, familiar with people (reciprocal) nagaji'idiwag vai they are familiar with, used to each other
nagaji'idiwag vai they are familiar with, used to each other

nagaji'iwe vai s/he is used to, familiar with people

nagajimaam vta be used to the smell of h/

Paired with: nagajimaandan vti

nagajimaandan vti be used to the smell of it

Paired with: nagajimaam vta

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.