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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

nishwaaswewaan qnt num eight pairs; eight sets

See also: ishwaaswewaan qnt num

nishwaaswi qnt num eight

See also: ishwaaswi qnt num ; nishwaaso qnt num [RL]

nita'am vai2 s/he goes upriver against the current

nita'ibidoon vti2 s/he pulls it upstream

nitam adv loc first

nitamaw vta kill (it) for h/

nitamaya'ii adv loc in the first place

nitamaage vai s/he kills (something) of people or for people

nitamaazo vai s/he kills (something) for h/ self

nitamigaabawi vai s/he stands at head of the line

nitamige vai s/he lives in the first house

nitaminikaazo vai s/he has a first name

(derived noun) nitaminikaazowin ni a first name
nitaminikaazowin ni a first name

nitamoozhaan na an eldest child; a first-born child

nitawag nid my ear

nitaa- pv lex being good at; being skilled at; frequently do; know how to do something

nitaage vai s/he kills game, kills people, murders; s/he mourns

(derived noun) nitaagewin ni killing, murder
nitaagewin ni killing, murder

nitaawagindaaso vai s/he knows how to count; s/he knows how to read

nitaawashkime vai s/he weaves snowshoe webbing skilfully

nitaawaada'e vai s/he knows how to skate

nitaawe vai s/he is skilled in speaking or singing

nitaawibii'an vti know how to write it

(detransitive) nitaawibii'ige vai s/he knows how to write
nitaawibii'ige vai s/he knows how to write

nitaawichige vai s/he is skilled at something, knows how to make things

nitaawigi vai s/he is born; s/he grows, grows up

Paired with: nitaawigin vii

nitaawigi' vta grow or raise it (animate; a crop or plant), raise h/ (a child)

Paired with: nitaawigitoon vti2

nitaawigi'aawaso vai s/he raises a child or children

nitaawigin vii it grows, grows up

Paired with: nitaawigi vai

nitaawiginaawaso vai s/he bears a child or children; s/he gives birth

nitaawigitoon vti2 grow, raise it

Paired with: nitaawigi' vta

nitaawigwaaso vai s/he knows how to sew, is good at sewing

nitaawi' vta know how to make, work on, operate it (animate)

Paired with: nitaawitoon vti2

nitaawitoon vti2 know how to make, work on, operate it

Paired with: nitaawi' vta

(detransitive) nitaawichige vai s/he is skilled at something, knows how to make things
nitaawose vai s/he is good at walking, able to travel by walking, knows how to walk well

nitigwaan nid [BL] my head

See also: nishtigwaan nid

nitii ni [N] tea (the drink)

(verb of making) nitiike vai [N] s/he makes tea
(benefactive) nitiikaw vta [N] make tea for h/
nitiikaw vta [N] make tea for h/

nitiikaan ni [BL] tea (liquid)

nitiike vai [N] s/he makes tea

nitiiwakik na [N] a tea kettle

nitiiwakikoons na [BL] a teapot; a small tea kettle

nitiiwinaaganens ni [BL] a teacup

See also: nitiiwinaagaans ni [BL]

nitiiwinaagaans ni [BL] a teacup

See also: nitiiwinaaganens ni [BL]

nitoon vti2 kill it, catch and kill it

Paired with: nishi vta

(benefactive) nitamaw vta kill (it) for h/
(detransitive) nitamaage vai s/he kills (something) of people or for people nitamaazo vai s/he kills (something) for h/ self
niwiiw nad my wife

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

niyaa pc interj [expression of regret, of remembering what should have been done or should have happened]

nizid nid my foot

See also: inzid nid

nizigos nad my aunt (cross-aunt: father's sister)

nizigozis nad my mother-in-law

nizinis nad my father-in-law

See also: nizhinis nad [N]

nizhinis nad [N] my father-in-law

See also: nizinis nad

nizhiigan nid the small of my back; (the upper part of) my rump, rear end

niibawi vai s/he stands

(causative) niibawi' vta make h/ stand up (causative) niibawitoon vti2 make it stand up niibawitaw vta stand beside h/
niibawi' vta make h/ stand up

Paired with: niibawitoon vti2

niibawingwaami vai [RL] s/he sleeps standing up

niibawitaw vta stand beside h/

niibawitoon vti2 make it stand up

Paired with: niibawi' vta

niibaa- pv lex at night

niibaa-anama'e-giizhigad vii it is Christmas

niibaa-dibik adv tmp late at night

niibaabatoo vai s/he runs at night

niibaabi vai s/he sits up at night

See also: niibebi vai

niibaabizo vai s/he drives at night

niibaabiitaw vta have wake for h/; sit up with h/ at night

niibaadaabii'iwe vai s/he drives at night

niibaakamigad vii it happens at night

Paired with: niibaakamigizi vai

niibaakamigizi vai s/he is active at night

Paired with: niibaakamigad vii

niibaakonawe vai s/he keeps a fire going at night

niibaakwazhiwe vai s/he paddles at night

niibaapon vii it snows at night

niibaasin vii

Paired with: niibaashin vai

niibaashin vai s/he or it (animate) lies somewhere overnight

Paired with: niibaasin vii

niibaashkaa vai s/he goes out at night, travels at night

niibaataa vai s/he works into the night

niibaayaanimad vii it is windy at night

niibebi vai s/he holds a wake, sits up at a wake

niibid nid my tooth

niibidebidewan vii

niibidebiwag vai they sit side by side in a row

niibidegaabawiwag vai they stand in a row

niibidegoodewan vii they hang in a row

See also: niibidegoojinoog vai

niibidegoodoon vti2 hang it in a row

Paired with: niibidegoozh vta

niibidegoojinoog vai they hang in a row

Paired with: niibidegoodewan vii

niibidegoozh vta hang h/ in row

Paired with: niibidegoodoon vti2

niibide'oodewan vii they (inanimate) are strung in row

Paired with: niibide'oozowag vai

niibide'oodoon vti2 string them (inanimate) on in a row

Paired with: niibide'oozh vta

niibide'oozh vta string them (animate) in in a row

Paired with: niibide'oodoon vti2

niibide'oozowag vai they (animate) are strung in row

Paired with: niibide'oodewan vii

niibidekidewan vii they stand, are planted side by side in a row

Paired with: niibidekizowag vai

niibidekidoon vti2 stand it up, plant it in a row

Paired with: niibidekizh vta

niibidekizh vta stand h/ up, plant h/ in a row

Paired with: niibidekidoon vti2

niibidekizowag vai they stand, are planted side by side in a row

Paired with: niibidekidewan vii

niibidesinoon vii they lie side by side in a row, are lined up

Paired with: niibideshinoog vai

niibideshinoog vai they lie side by side in a row, are lined up

Paired with: niibidesinoon vii

niibideyaabanigoziwag vai they go side-by-side leaving tracks in the snow

niibideyaakwa'an vti pin them (inanimate) on a clothesline side-by-side

niibideyaakwaa vii there is a row of trees

niibidoon vti2 weave it

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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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.