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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

nisimidana ashi-niswi qnt num thirty-three

nisimidana ashi-nishwaaswi qnt num thirty-eight

See also: nisimidana ashi-ishwaaswi qnt num

nisimidana ashi-niiwin qnt num thirty-four

nisimidana ashi-niizh qnt num thirty-two

nisimidana ashi-niizh qnt num thirty-two

nisimidana ashi-niizhwaaswi qnt num thirty-seven

nisimidana ashi-zhaangaswi qnt num thirty-nine

nisimidana-shi-bezhigwaginzo vai [BL] it is the thirty-first (of the month)

nisimidanaweginzo vai [BL] it is the thirtieth (of the month)

nising adv tmp three times; thrice

nisinoon vii they (inanimate) are three, there are three of them

Paired with: nisiwag vai

nisiwag vai they (animate) are three, there are three of them

Paired with: nisinoon vii

niso- pv qnt three

niso-anama'e-giizhigad vii it is three weeks

niso-anama'e-giizhik qnt num three weeks

niso-anama'e-giizhikwagad vii it is three weeks

niso-biboon qnt num three years; three winters

niso-biboonagad vii it is three years

niso-biboonagizi vai s/he is three years old

niso-diba'igan qnt num
  1. three hours
  2. three miles

niso-diba'igane vii [N] it is three o'clock

niso-diba'iganed vii [S] it is three o'clock

niso-diba'iganeyaa vii [BL] it is three o'clock

niso-diba'igaans qnt num
  1. three minutes
  2. three acres

niso-diba'oobaan qnt num [BL] three gallons

niso-dibaabiishkoojigan qnt num three pounds

niso-dibaabiishkoojiganezi vai s/he or it (animate) weighs three pounds

niso-dibik qnt num three nights

niso-gikinoonowin qnt num three years

niso-giizhik qnt num three days

niso-giizis qnt num three months

niso-giiziswagad vii it is three months

Paired with: niso-giiziswagizi vai

niso-giiziswagizi vai s/he is three months old

Paired with: niso-giiziswagad vii

niso-minikwaajigan qnt num three gallons

niso-mininj qnt num [NI] three inches

niso-mizid qnt num [NI] three feet

niso-zhooniyaans na seventy-five cents

niso-zhooniyaansiwinaaganens qnt num three-quarters of a cup

nisodaabaan qnt num three cars, carloads

nisogon qnt num three days

nisogonagad vii it is three days

Paired with: nisogonagizi vai

nisogonagizi vai it is the third (of a month); s/he is three days old

Paired with: nisogonagad vii

nisogonendi vai s/he is gone three days, is absent three days

nisonaaganens qnt num [BL] three cups, cupfuls

nisonaagaans qnt num three cups, cupfuls

nisoninj qnt num three inches

nisosagoons qnt num three thousand

nisozid qnt num three feet

nisoobiwag vai three of them sit together; three of them are at home

nisoobizowag vai three of them speed, drive, fly together

nisoobii'igan na a three (card)

nisoogaabawiwag vai three of them stand together

nisoogwaade vii

nisookik qnt num three pails, three pailfuls

nisoonag qnt num three boats or canoes, three boatloads

nisoonagiziwag vai there are three canoes or boats of them

nisoopidewan vii three of them (inanimate) are tied together

Paired with: nisoopizowag vai

nisoopidoon vti2 tie three of them (inanimate) together

Paired with: nisoopizh vta

nisoopizh vta tie, hitch three of them (animate) together

nisoopizowag vai three of them (animate) are tied together, are hitched together

Paired with: nisoopidewan vii

nisooshinoog vai three of them lie together

nisooshkimod qnt num three bags

nisooshkin qnt num three bags

niswaginzo vai it is the third (of a month)

niswaabik qnt num three dollars

niswaabiig qnt num three strands, three strings

niswaagiwebishkigan na [BL] a tricycle

niswaak qnt num three hundred

niswaakodaabaan ni a travois

niswaatig qnt num three stick-like objects

nisweg qnt num three pieces of something sheet-like

nisweginigan qnt num three packages

niswemikwaanens qnt num three spoonfuls

niswewaan qnt num three sets, three pairs

niswewaanagadoon vii there are three sets, pairs, or kinds of them (inanimate)

See also: niswewaanagiziwag vai

niswewaanagiziwag vai there are three sets, pairs, or kinds of them (animate)

Paired with: niswewaanagadoon vii

niswi qnt num three

nishi vta kill h/; get or catch it (animate; an animal, fish, bird) for use

Paired with: nitoon vti2

(detransitive) nishiwe vai s/he kills, commits murder (reciprocal) nisidiwag vai they kill each other (reflexive) nisidizo vai s/he kills h/ self, commits suicide
nishikewige vai s/he lives alone

nishikewizi vai s/he is alone, is one, is the only one, is single

nishimis nad my niece (cross niece: female's brother's daughter or male's sister's daughter)

nishiwanaadad vii [RL] it is spoiled, is rotten, is ruined, is destroyed

Paired with: nishiwanaadizi vai [RL] See also: nishwanaadad vii

nishiwanaadakamigad vii it is a riot, a melee

Paired with: nishiwanaadakamigizi vai

nishiwanaadakamigizi vai s/he is naughty, is unruly, is disobedient

Paired with: nishiwanaadakamigad vii

nishiwanaadizi vai [RL] s/he is dead; s/he is in poor condition, is neglected

Paired with: nishiwanaadad vii [RL] See also: nishwanaadizi vai

nishiwanaajichige vai [RL] s/he wastes, spoils, destroys things

See also: nishwanaajichige vai

nishiwanaaji' vta [RL] waste, spoil, destroy h/

Paired with: nishiwanaajitoon vti2 [RL] See also: nishwanaaji' vta

nishiwanaajitoon vti2 [RL] spoil, ruin, destroy it

Paired with: nishiwanaaji' vta [RL] See also: nishwanaajitoon vti2

(detransitive) nishiwanaajichige vai [RL] s/he wastes, spoils, destroys things
nishiwe vai s/he kills, commits murder

nishiime nad my younger sibling (brother or sister); my younger parallel cousin (mother's sister's child; father's brother's child)

nishiimisaa nad my dear little sibling (brother or sister)

See also: nishiime nad ; nichiimichaa nad

nishkanokii vai s/he gets angry working, gets mad working

nishkanzh nad
  1. my nail (fingernail, toenail)
  2. my claw

nishkaabam vta glare at, look angrily at h/

Paired with: nishkaabandan vti

nishkaabandan vti glare at, look angrily at it

Paired with: nishkaabam vta

nishkaabaawazh vta make h/ angry by geting them wet

nishkaabaawe vai s/he is angry because of being wet

nishkaabi vai s/he glares (at someone or something), flashes an angry glance (at someone or something)

nishkaadendam vai2 s/he is an angry person, is always mad

nishkaadenim vta feel mad at, feel angry at h/

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.

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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.