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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

niibinakizine vai s/he wears summer shoes or moccasins

niibinaakwaanininj ni a finger

niibinaakwaanizidaan ni a toe

niibini-babiinzikawaagan ni a summer jacket

niibini-bagidaabaan ni a summer setline: a fishing line with multiple hooks set across a stretch of water

niibinishi vai s/he spends the summer somewhere

niibinishiiwigamig ni a resort, a cottage

niibinong adv tmp last summer

niibiwa adv qnt [N] a lot; many; much

See also: niibowa adv qnt [S]

niibowa adv qnt [S] a lot; many; much

See also: gichi-niibowa adv qnt ; niibiwa adv qnt [N] ; onzaam niibowa adv qnt

niibowagiziwag vai here is much of it; they are many

niidakiwenzii nad my (if I am male) fellow old man, old companion

niigaan adv loc ahead, at the front, leading; in the future

niigaanabi vai s/he sits in front

niigaanagoode vii it hangs in front

Paired with: niigaanagoojin vai

niigaanagoodoon vti2 hang it in front

Paired with: niigaanagoozh vta

niigaanagoojin vai s/he hangs in front

Paired with: niigaanagoode vii

niigaanagoozh vta hang h/ in front

Paired with: niigaanagoodoon vti2

niigaanendaagozi vai s/he is considered to be foremost, is considered to be a leader

niigaanendaagoziwin ni leadership

niigaanendaagoziwin ni

niigaani- pv lex ahead, leading, in front

niigaanibatoo vai s/he runs in the lead

niigaanibide vii it drives in the lead

niigaanidaabii vai s/he pulls a load at the front (of a sled)

niigaanidaabii'iwe vai s/he drives in the lead; s/he leads pulling h/ load at the front

niigaanigaabawi vai s/he stands in front

niigaanisidoon vti2 set it in front

Paired with: niigaanishim vta

niigaanisin vii it lies in front

Paired with: niigaanishin vai

niigaanishim vta set h/ in front

Paired with: niigaanisidoon vti2

niigaanishimo vai s/he dances in the lead

niigaanishin vai s/he or it (animate) lies in front

Paired with: niigaanisin vii

niigaaniwizh vta lead h/

niigaanizi vai s/he is always first, is foremost, leads

niigaanii vai s/he leads, goes ahead

niigaanii' vta make h/ go ahead, make h/ lead

niigaaniimagad vii it leads

niigi vai s/he increases in number; s/he is born

(causative) niigi' vta bear h/, make h/ grow or increase in number
niigi' vta bear h/, make h/ grow or increase in number

Paired with: niigitoon vti2

niiginaawaso vai s/he (an animal) gives birth to a litter

niigitoon vti2 make it grow, make it increase in number; make it increase in number

Paired with: niigi' vta

niigode vii it breaks by heat

Paired with: niigozo vai

niigosidoon vti2 break it (by dropping); smash it

Paired with: niigoshim vta

niigosin vii it breaks (on impact)

Paired with: niigoshin vai

niigoshim vta break h/ (by dropping); smash h/

Paired with: niigosidoon vti2

niigoshin vai s/he breaks (on impact)

Paired with: niigosin vii

niigoshkan vti break it (with foot or body)

niigoshkaa vii it is broken

niigozo vai s/he breaks by heat

Paired with: niigode vii

niij nad

► niijii nad

niiji- pv lex my fellow

niiji-zaziikizii nad my old friend

See also: zaziikizi vai

niijikiwenh nad my (male's) brother, (male) parallel cousin, fellow man

niijikiwenzi nad my brother; my friend

niijikwe na my friend (woman to woman)

niijii nad my friend

niikimo vai s/he growls

niimabwewine vai s/he takes along a frying pan or pans

niimagoode vii it is hanging out

Paired with: niimagoojin vai

niimagoodoon vti2 hang it out

Paired with: niimagoozh vta

niimagoojin vai s/he is hanging out

Paired with: niimagoode vii

niimagoozh vta hang h/ out

Paired with: niimagoodoon vti2

niimagwazhe vai s/he takes along a blanket

niima' vta carry h/ using something; pick h/ up using something

Paired with: niima'an vti

niima'an vti carry it using something; pick it up using something

Paired with: niima' vta

niimakikwe vai s/he takes along a kettle, pot, pan, or pail

niimakizine vai s/he takes along footwear

niimam vta carry h/ in mouth; pick h/ up in mouth

Paired with: niimandan vti

niimandan vti carry it in mouth; pick it up in mouth

Paired with: niimam vta

niimanwiiwe vai s/he takes along bullets

niimasabii vai s/he takes a net or nets along

niimasemaawe vai s/he takes tobacco along

niimashkimode vai s/he takes along a bag or bags

niimazhigane vai s/he takes along socks

niimaagime vai s/he takes along snowshoes

niimaakon vta hold, carry h/ on stick

Paired with: niimaakonan vti

niimaakonan vti hold, carry it on stick

Paired with: niimaakon vta

niimaakwa' vta pick it (animate) up or hold it (animate) out with something stick-like

Paired with: niimaakwa'an vti

niimaakwa'an vti pick it up or hold it out on something stick-like

Paired with: niimaakwa' vta

niimaakwa'wi vta [NI]

► niimaakwa' vta

niimi vai s/he dances

(causative) niimi' vta hold a dance for h/; make h/ dance
(detransitive) niimi'iwe vai s/he gives a dance (reciprocal) niimi'idiwag vai they dance
(derived noun) niimi'idiwin ni a dance; a powwow
(verb of pretending) niimikaazo vai s/he pretends to dance niimikaw vta dance for h/
(detransitive) niimikaage vai s/he dances for people (for a purpose)
niimibagwaanegamigwe vai [BL] s/he takes along a tent or tents

niimibaashkizigane vai s/he takes along a gun

niimibikwakwe vai s/he takes along an arrow or arrows

niimidana qnt num forty

niimidaabaane vai s/he takes along a car or cars

niimi' vta hold a dance for h/; make h/ dance

Paired with: niimitoon vti2

niimi'idiwag vai they dance

niimi'idiwin ni a dance; a powwow

niimi'idii-nagamon ni a dance song

niimi'idiiwigamig ni a dance hall; a dance arena

niimi'iwe vai s/he gives a dance

niimijiimaane vai s/he takes along a canoe or canoes; take along a boat or boats

niimikan vti dance to it

niimikaw vta dance for h/

niimikaage vai s/he dances for people (for a purpose)

niimikaazo vai s/he pretends to dance

niimikomaane vai s/he takes along a knife or knives

niimiminjikaawane vai s/he takes along mittens or gloves

niimimitigwaabii vai s/he takes a bow along

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.