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nookanjige vai s/he softens things in the mouth

nookashkweyaa vii it is soft birch bark

nookaa vii it is soft, is tender

Paired with: nookizi vai

nookaabaawadoon vti2 soften it with water

Paired with: nookaabaawazh vta

nookaabaawazh vta soften h/ with water

Paired with: nookaabaawadoon vti2

nookaabaawe vai it (animate) is or gets soft from being in water or the rain

Paired with: nookaabaawe vii

nookaabaawe vii it is or gets soft from being in water or the rain

Paired with: nookaabaawe vai

(applicative) nookaabaawadoon vti2 soften it with water (applicative) nookaabaawazh vta soften h/ with water
nookaabikad vii it (mineral) is soft

Paired with: nookaabikizi vai

nookaabikiz vta soften h/ (mineral) with heat

Paired with: nookaabikizan vti

nookaabikizan vti soften it (mineral) with heat

Paired with: nookaabikiz vta

nookaabikizi vai s/he (mineral) is soft

Paired with: nookaabikad vii

nookaabiigad vii it (string-like) is soft

Paired with: nookaabiigizi vai

nookaabiigizi vai it (animate; string-like) is soft

Paired with: nookaabiigad vii

nookaadad vii it is mild

Paired with: nookaadizi vai

nookaadizi vai s/he has a good, easy life

Paired with: nookaadad vii

(derived noun) nookaadiziwin ni a good, easy life
nookaadiziwin ni a good, easy life

nookaagamin vii it (liquid) is mild

nookaagibidoon vti2 soften it by bending it (with the hands)

Paired with: nookaagibizh vta

nookaagibizh vta soften it (animate) by bending it (with the hands)

Paired with: nookaagibidoon vti2

nookaaginan vta soften it by bending it (by hand)

nookaagonagaa vii there is soft snow

nookaajiwanzan vti boil it tender

Paired with: nookaajiwanzwi vta [NI]

nookaajiwanzwi vta [NI] boil it (animate) tender

Paired with: nookaajiwanzan vti

nookaakide vii it softens by heat or flame

Paired with: nookaakizo vai

nookaakiz vta soften h/ by heat or flame

Paired with: nookaakizan vti

nookaakizan vti soften it by heat or flame

Paired with: nookaakiz vta

nookaakizo vai s/he softens by heat or flame

Paired with: nookaakide vii

nookaanikwe vai s/he has soft hair

nookibidoon vti2 soften it by working it (with the hands)

Paired with: nookibizh vta

(detransitive) nookibijige vai s/he softens things by working them with the hands
nookibijige vai s/he softens things by working them with the hands

nookibizh vta soften it (animate) by working it (with the hands)

Paired with: nookibidoon vti2

nookide vii it is cooked tender

Paired with: nookizo vai

nookijiishkaa vii it (something bag-like, belly-like) softens, gets soft

nookijiishkaa vai it (animate; something bag-like, belly-like) softens, gets soft

Paired with: nookijiishkaa vii

nookijiishkiwagad vii it is soft mud, is soft as mud

nookijiishkiwagaa vii there is soft mud

nookijiishkiwagizi vii it (animate) is soft as mud

nookijiiyaa vii it (something bag-like, belly-like) is soft

Paired with: nookijiizi vai

nookijiizi vai s/he is soft-bellied; it (animate; something bag-like, belly-like) is soft

Paired with: nookijiiyaa vii

nookiminagad vii it (something small and round; grain) is soft

nookiskawe vai it (animate; fish) has soft meat

nookishkan vti soften it with body weight or feet

Paired with: nookishkaw vta

(detransitive) nookishkige vai s/he softens things with body weight or feet
nookishkaw vta soften h/ with body weight or feet

Paired with: nookishkan vti

nookishkige vai s/he softens things with body weight or feet

nookiz vta cook h/ tender

Paired with: nookizan vti

nookizan vti cook it tender

Paired with: nookiz vta

nookizi vai s/he is soft, is tender

Paired with: nookaa vii

nookizigwaa vii there is soft ice

nookizo vai s/he is cooked tender

Paired with: nookide vii

nookizwi vta [BL]

► nookiz vta

nookiigad vii it (sheet-like) is soft

Paired with: nookiigizi vai

nookiigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is soft

Paired with: nookiigad vii

nookiingwe vai s/he has soft skin on h/ face

nookiiwagad vii it is tender meat, has tender meat

Paired with: nookiiwagizi vai

nookiiwagitaa vai

nookiiwagizi vai it (animate) has soft or tender meat

Paired with: nookiiwagad vii

nooko nad [BL] gramma

See also: nookoo nad

nookomis nad my grandmother

nookoo nad gramma

See also: nookomis nad ; nooko nad [BL]

nookwez vta smudge h/ medicinally

Paired with: nookwezan vti

(reflexive) nookwezodizo vai s/he smudges h/ self medicinally
nookwezan vti smudge it medicinally

Paired with: nookwez vta

(detransitive) nookwezige vai s/he smudges things medicinally (derived noun) nookwezigan ni a medicine for burning to make a smudge
nookwezigan ni a medicine for burning to make a smudge

nookwezige vai s/he smudges things medicinally

nookwezo vai s/he inhales medicinal vapors; s/he or it (animate) is smudged

nookwezodizo vai s/he smudges h/ self medicinally

nookwezwi vta [NI]

► nookwez vta

noomag adv tmp for a long time; for a spell; for a while

noomagebi vai s/he sits for a while

noomakwaan ni hair dressing

noomakwii vai s/he dresses h/ (own) hair

noomakwii' vta dress h/ hair

noomaya adv tmp recently; a little while ago; a while ago

noomazhaan ni [RL] something oily applied to the skin: skin cream, lotion, liniment

noomazhe vai [RL] s/he applies something oily to the skin: skin cream, lotion, linement

(derived noun) noomazhaan ni [RL] something oily applied to the skin: skin cream, lotion, liniment
noomaabikin vta lubricate h/

Paired with: noomaabikinan vti

noomaabikinan vti lubricate it

Paired with: noomaabikin vta

(verb of undergoing) noomaabikinigaade vii it is lubricated (by someone), "they" lubricate it (detransitive) noomaabikinige vai s/he lubricate things (derived noun) noomaabikinigan ni lubricant for a machine or vehicle
noomaabikinigan ni lubricant for a machine or vehicle

noomaabikinigaade vii it is lubricated (by someone), "they" lubricate it

noomaabikinige vai s/he lubricate things

noomin vta grease, oil h/

Paired with: noominan vti

noominamaw vta grease, oil (it) for h/

noominan vti grease, oil it

Paired with: noomin vta

(benefactive) noominamaw vta grease, oil (it) for h/ (detransitive) noominige vai s/he greases, oils things (verb of undergoing) noominigaade vii it is greased, oiled (by someone), "they" grease, oil it
noominigaade vii it is greased, oiled (by someone), "they" grease, oil it

noominige vai s/he greases, oils things

noomininjii vai s/he applies lotion on h/ (own) hand or hands

(derived noun) noomininjiiwin ni [RL] hand lotion
noomininjiiwin ni [RL] hand lotion

noonabi vai s/he has no room to sit

noona'oode vii it doesn't fit into or through something

noonashkina' vta don't have enough room for h/ in something

Paired with: noonashkinatoon vti2

noonashkinatoon vti2 not have enough room for it in a container

Paired with: noonashkina' vta

noonashkine vii it idoes not fit in something

Paired with: noonashkine vai

noonashkine vai s/he does not fit in something

Paired with: noonashkine vii

noonaajigan ni a baby bottle

noonaajiganens ni a baby bottle nipple; a baby bottle; a pacifier

noonaajiganimooday ni a baby bottle

noonaajiganimoodaabik ni [BL] a baby bottle

noonaajige vai s/he nurses a baby from the bottle

noonaajige' vta nurse h/ from the bottle

noonaajige'aawaso vai s/he nurses a baby from the bottle

noonaawaso vai s/he nurses a baby

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.