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nakwebii'amaw vta write (it) back to h/

(reciprocal) nakwebii'amaadiwag vai they write (it) back to each other
nakwebii'amaadiwag vai they write (it) back to each other

nakweganaandan vti hit it right on

nakwe'amaw vta pick up and sing after h/ starts as leader; join in singing with h/

nakwem vta catch h/ with mouth; snatch h/ with mouth

Paired with: nakwendan vti

nakwenaw vta shoot h/ or it (animate) in flight

nakwendan vti catch it with mouth; snatch it with mouth

Paired with: nakwem vta

nakweshkaw vta meet h/

(reciprocal) nakweshkodaadiwag vai they meet each other
nakweshkodaadiwag vai they meet each other

nakwetam vai2 s/he answers

nakwetan vti answer it

Paired with: nakwetaw vta

nakwetaw vta answer h/

Paired with: nakwetan vti

(detransitive) nakwetaage vai s/he answers (people) (reciprocal) nakwetaadiwag vai they answer each other; they converse
nakwetaadiwag vai they answer each other; they converse

nakwetaage vai s/he answers (people)

namadabi vai s/he sits

(causative) namadabi' vta make h/ sit up, sit h/ up (applicative) namadabiitan vti sit by or with it; sit on it (in hatching an egg)
namadabi' vta make h/ sit up, sit h/ up

namadabingwaami vai [RL] s/he sleeps sitting up

See also: namadabingwaamo vai [BL]

namadabingwaamo vai [BL] s/he sleeps sitting up

See also: namadabingwaami vai [RL]

namadabiitan vti sit by or with it; sit on it (in hatching an egg)

namadagoode vii it hangs right side up

Paired with: namadagoojin vai

namadagoodoon vti2 hang it right side up

namadagoojin vai it (animate) hangs right side up

Paired with: namadagoode vii

namadagoozh vta hang it (animate) right side up

namadakide vii it stands upright

Paired with: namadakizo vai

namadakidoon vti2 stand it upright

Paired with: namadakizh vta

namadakizh vta stand it (animate) upright

Paired with: namadakidoon vti2

namadakizo vai it (animate) is upright, stands upright

Paired with: namadakide vii

namadaakon vta hold it (animate; stick-like) upright, right side up

Paired with: namadaakonan vti

namadaakonan vti hold it (stick-like) upright, right side up

Paired with: namadaakon vta

namadaakosidoon vti2 set it (stick-like) upright, right side up

Paired with: namadaakoshim vta

namadaakoshim vta set it (animate: stick-like) upright, right side up

Paired with: namadaakosidoon vti2

namadin vta put or hold it (animate) upright

Paired with: namadinan vti

namadinan vti put or hold it upright

Paired with: namadin vta

namajigaabawi vai s/he stands upright (as an animal)

namajisidoon vti2 set it upright

Paired with: namajishim vta

namajisin vii it lies upright

Paired with: namajishin vai

namajishim vta set h/ or it (animate) upright

Paired with: namajisidoon vti2

namajishin vai it (animate) lies upright

Paired with: namajisin vii

namanj adv dub I don't know how, I wonder how

See also: amanj adv dub

namanj apii adv dub I don't know when, I wonder when

See also: amanj apii adv dub

namanjaya'ii adv loc on the left side of something

namanjigaad ni a left leg

namanjinik ni a left hand

namanjinikaan ni left arm

namanjinike vai s/he is left-handed

namanjizid ni a left foot

namanjii vai s/he is left-handed

name na a sturgeon

[
lake sturgeon
; 
Acipenser fulvescens
]

(verb of abundance) namekaa vii there are (many) sturgeon
name-wewebanaabaan ni a sturgeon hook

namebin na a sucker (fish)

[
white sucker
; 
Catostomus commersoni
]

(verb of abundance) namebinikaa vii there are (many) suckers
namebini-giizis na February

namebini-gokeyaw ni bait of cut-up sucker

namebinikaa vii there are (many) suckers

namediyeshin s/he leaves an imprint of h/ seat in or on something

namegos na a lake trout

[
lake trout
; 
Salvelinus namaycush
]

namegosikaa vii there are (many) lake trout
namegosikaa vii there are (many) lake trout

name' vta find a sign of h/ presence

namekaa vii there are (many) sturgeon

namekwaan ni [BL] glue; rubber

namekwaanakizin ni [BL] a rubber boot

nameninjiishin vai s/he leaves a hand or finger mark in or on something

namepin na wild ginger

[
Asarum canadense
]

namesin vii it leaves signs of its presence, there are signs of its presence

Paired with: nameshin vai

nameshin vai s/he leaves signs of h/ presence, there are signs of h/ presence

Paired with: namesin vii

nameteg na [BL] dried fish

(verb of making) nametegoke vai s/he makes nameteg
(applicative) nametegokaazh vta make nameteg of h/
nametegokaazh vta make nameteg of h/

nametegoke vai s/he makes nameteg

nametoo vai s/he leaves signs of h/ presence

nametwaadan vti leave signs of it

(verb of undergoing) nametwaajigaade vii signs of it are left (by someone), "they" leave sign of it
nametwaajigaade vii signs of it are left (by someone), "they" leave sign of it

namewasab na a sturgeon net

namewi-bimide ni sturgeon grease

nanagamo vai s/he keeps singing, sings on and off

nanagin vta hold h/ back; prevent h/ (from doing something)

(detransitive) nanaginiwe vai s/he breaks up a fight
nanaginiwe vai s/he breaks up a fight

nanaginiwewinini na a referee

nanaginiwewininiiwi vai s/he is a referee
nanaginiwewininiiwi vai s/he is a referee

nanaweyaasin vii it keeps bending over in the wind

Paired with: nanaweyaashi vai

nanaweyaashi vai it (animate) keeps bending over in the wind

Paired with: nanaweyaasin vii

nanawizh vta butcher h/; cut h/ up

nanawizi vai s/he gets nothing in the hunt; s/he wastes effort, is disappointed in hunting or gathering

nanaabagizide vai s/he has flat feet

nanaa'endam vai2 s/he feels satisfied (with the outcome of some change or correction), feels content

nanaa'endan vti feel satisfied with it

Paired with: nanaa'enim vta

nanaa'enim vta feel satisfied with h/

Paired with: nanaa'endan vti

nanaa'ichigaade vii it is fixed, repaired (by someone), "they" fix, repair it

nanaa'ichigaazo vai s/he is fixed, repaired (by someone), "they" fix, repair h/

nanaa'ichige vai s/he fixes, repairs things

nanaa'ichigewinini na a repairman

nanaa'idaabaane vai s/he repairs a car

nanaa'idaabaanewinini na an automobile mechanic

nanaa'idaabaanikaw vta fix h/ car for h/

nanaa'idaabaanike vai s/he fixes cars

(benefactive) nanaa'idaabaanikaw vta fix h/ car for h/
nanaa'idaabaanikewinini na an automobile mechanic

nanaa'igwaajigan ni a net shuttle

nanaa'igwaazh vta fix it (animate) with a stick or something sharp

nanaa'i' vta fix, repair h/; put h/ in place

Paired with: nanaa'itoon vti2

nanaa'in vta fix, repair h/; put h/ away; put h/ in order

Paired with: nanaa'inan vti

nanaa'inan vti fix it; put it in order, put it away

Paired with: nanaa'in vta

(detransitive) nanaa'inige vai s/he puts things in order, puts things away, fixes things
nanaa'inige vai s/he puts things in order, puts things away, fixes things

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.