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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

neshangaa vii it is limber, is slack

Paired with: neshangizi vai

neshangaabiigad vii it is slack (as something string-like)

Paired with: neshangaabiigizi vai

neshangaabiigizi vai s/he is slack (as something string-like)

Paired with: neshangaabiigad vii

neshangisin vii it lies limp, lies slack

Paired with: neshangishin vai

neshangishin vai s/he lies limp, lies slack, lies relaxed

Paired with: neshangisin vii

neshangizi vai s/he is limber, is slack

Paired with: neshangaa vii

newe na a bull snake

neyaab adv man as before; back to previous place or condition

neyaabikaa vii it is a rocky point or cape

neyaakoshin vai

neyaakwaa vii there is a point of trees

neyaandagaa vii there is a sandy point

neyaashi ni a point (of land), a cape

(verb of being) neyaashiiwan vii there is a point (of land), a cape
neyaashiiwan vii there is a point (of land), a cape

neyaawangaa vii it is a sandy point

nezaadiikaa vii it is a point of poplars

ni- pv dir coming up to in time; going away

See also: ani- pv dir

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

nibaa vai s/he sleeps, is asleep

(causative) nibe' vta make h/ sleep, put h/ to bed (verb of pretending) nibekaazo vai s/he pretends to sleep or be asleep (derived noun) nibewin ni [BL] something used to sleep on: a bed, bedding material; a place to sleep: an overnight stopping place (verb of addiction) nibaashki vai s/he sleeps all the time
nibaadaajim vta

nibaadaakigwe vai s/he has a awful cold, has a damn cold

nibaadaanike vai s/he makes a mess digging

nibaadizi vai s/he is a greedy eater, is gluttonous

nibaadweweba'idiwag vai they make a racket scurrying around together

nibaadwewebijige vai s/he makes annoying noise with h/ hands or paws

nibaadwewenjige vai s/he eats making irritating noises

nibaadwewesin vii it makes a disturbing sound ringing

nibaagan ni something used to sleep on: a bed, bedding material

nibaaganaatig ni a bed frame

nibaajiikaw vta

nibaashki vai s/he sleeps all the time

nibaawinaagozi vai s/he looks sleepy, looks like s/he is sleeping, looks like s/he is asleep

nibe' vta make h/ sleep, put h/ to bed

nibe'aawaso vai s/he puts a child or children to sleep

nibe'iwe vai

nibekaazo vai s/he pretends to sleep or be asleep

nibendaw vta stay overnight with h/

(detransitive) nibendaage vai s/he stays overnight with people
nibendaage vai s/he stays overnight with people

nibeshkaw- vta make h/ sleep

nibeshkine vai s/he goes to sleep from being full

nibewayaan ni sleepwear: (a pair of) pajamas; nightgown

nibewi-mashkiki ni sleeping medicine

nibewigamig ni a bedroom; a hotel or hotel room

nibewin ni [BL] something used to sleep on: a bed, bedding material; a place to sleep: an overnight stopping place

nibewiniigin ni [BL] a sheet

nibi ni water

(verb of abundance) nibiikaa vii there is (a lot of) water (verb of making) nibiike vai s/he adds water, dilutes something
(applicative) nibiikaadan vti add water or other liquid to it (animate)
(verb of being) nibiiwan vii it is wet, is watery; it is juicy (verb of being) nibiiwi vai s/he or it (animate) is wet (verb of possession) onibiimi vai s/he has water
nibi gaa-onjijiwang ni-v [BL] a faucet, a tap

nibi wenjijiwang ni-v a faucet, a tap

nibinaadi vai s/he gets water

nibinaadwaaganakik na [BL] a water pail

nibinaadwaaganaatig ni [BL] a yoke for carrying water pails

nibiikaa vii there is (a lot of) water

nibiikaadan vti add water or other liquid to it (animate)

nibiikaang

► nibi ni

nibiike vai s/he adds water, dilutes something

nibiiskwad vii there is slushy water on top of the ice

nibiiwakamigaa vii it is wet ground

nibiiwakik na a water pail

nibiiwan vii it is wet, is watery; it is juicy

Paired with: nibiiwizi vai

nibiiwashkaa vii there is wet grass; there are wet stalks, wet plants; it (stalk, plant) is wet

nibiiwashkiigaa vii it is a wet muskeg

nibiiwashkosiwagaa vii there is wet grass

nibiiwazhe vai h/ skin is wet

nibiiwaabikad vii it (something mineral) is wet

Paired with: nibiiwaabikizi vai

nibiiwaabikaa vii there is wet rock

nibiiwaabikizi vai it (animate; something mineral) is wet

Paired with: nibiiwaabikad vii

nibiiwaagamin vii it (a liquid) is watery

nibiiwaakozi vai it (animate; stick-like) is wet

Paired with: nibiiwaakwad vii

nibiiwaakwad vii it (stick-like) is wet

Paired with: nibiiwaakozi vai

nibiiwaakwaa vii it is wet in the woods

nibiiwaandagaa vii there are wet boughs

nibiiwaandagizi vai it (animate; bough) is wet

nibiiwaanikwe vai s/he has wet hair

nibiiwaawigane vai s/he has a wet back

nibiiwegad vii it (sheet-like) is wet

Paired with: nibiiwegizi vai

nibiiwegizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is wet

Paired with: nibiiwegad vii

nibiiwi vai s/he or it (animate) is wet

nibiiwi-baashkiziganens ni [BL] a squirt gun

See also: nibiiwi-baashkizigaans ni [S]

nibiiwi-baashkizigaans ni [S] a squirt gun

See also: nibiiwi-baashkiziganens ni [BL]

nibiiwibagaa vii there are wet leaves

nibiiwidiye vai s/he has a wet rear

nibiiwininjii vai s/he has wet hands

nibiiwisagad vii it (wood) is wet, water-logged

Paired with: nibiiwisagizi vai

nibiiwisagaa vii the floor is wet

nibiiwisagizi vai it (animate; board, tree) is wet

Paired with: nibiiwisagad vii

nibiiwizi vai s/he or it (animate) is wet; it (animate) is juicy

Paired with: nibiiwan vii

nibiiwizide vai h/ feet are wet

nibiiwiingwe vai h/ face is wet

nibo vai s/he dies, is dead

(verb of pretending) nibookaazo vai s/he pretends to be dead (verb of making) nibooke vai s/he has a death in h/ family (derived noun) nibowin ni death
nibowin ni death

nibookaazo vai s/he pretends to be dead

nibooke vai s/he has a death in h/ family

niboowi vai s/he is paralyzed

niboowidaabaan na a hearse

See also: niboowidaabaan ni [RL]

niboowidaabaan ni [RL] a hearse

See also: niboowidaabaan na

niboowigamig ni a mortuary

niboowigaade vai s/he has a paralyzed leg

niboowinike vai s/he has a paralyzed arm

niboowininjii vai s/he has a paralyzed hand

niboowise vai s/he becomes paralyzed; s/he falls ill from bad medicine; s/he has a stroke

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.