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nandwewezige vai s/he signals by shooting

nangwana pc disc it turns out that...; it happens to be that...; in fact...

nanibiiwininjii vai s/he has wet hands

nanibiiwizide vai s/he has wet feet

naningaji vai [BL] s/he shivers, shakes from the cold

See also: niningaji vai [S]

naningitaagozi vai s/he sounds shaky, speaks with a trembling voice

naningowe vai h/ voice wavers; s/he whimpers

nanishkaadizi vai s/he is angry off and on

naniibikim vta scold, nag h/

naniinawademo vai s/he cries in grief or deep sadness

naniinawendam vai2 s/he feels sad, sorry, remorseful

naniinawibii vai s/he feels sad or remorseful while drunk

naniinawi' vta make h/ deeply sad, remorseful

naniinawim vta say something to h/ that makes h/ deeply sad

naniizaanad vii it is dangerous

Paired with: naniizaanizi vai

naniizaanendam vai2 s/he thinks there is danger or risk, is scared of danger or risk

naniizaanendan vti think, consider it dangerous

Paired with: naniizaanenim vta

naniizaanendaagozi vai s/he or it (animate) is thought dangerous, is thought to be in danger

naniizaanendaagwad vii it is thought dangerous

naniizaanenim vta think h/ dangerous; think h/ to be in danger

Paired with: naniizaanendan vti

naniizaanenimigoowizi vai s/he is in danger

naniizaani' vta put h/ in danger, endanger h/

(reflexive) naniizaani'idizo vai s/he puts h/ self in danger, endangers h/ self
naniizaani'idizo vai s/he puts h/ self in danger, endangers h/ self

naniizaanizi vai s/he is dangerous

Paired with: naniizaanad vii

napaadagoode vii it hangs the wrong way

Paired with: napaadagoojin vai

napaadagoodoon vti2 hang it the wrong way

(detransitive) napaadagoojige vai s/he hangs things the wrong way
napaadagoojige vai s/he hangs things the wrong way

napaadagoojin vai s/he or it (animate) hangs the wrong way

Paired with: napaadagoode vii

napaadagoozh vta hang h/ the wrong way

Paired with: napaadagoodoon vti2

napaadakizine vai s/he puts a shoe on the wrong foot

napaadapidoon vti2 tie it the wrong way

Paired with: napaadapizh vta

napaadapizh vta tie, harness h/ the wrong way

Paired with: napaadapidoon vti2

napaadaabiigisidoon vti2 put it (string-like) the wrong way

napaadaajimo vai s/he tells something wrong

napaadin vta hold h/ the wrong way

Paired with: napaadinan vti

napaadinan vti hold it the wrong way

Paired with: napaadin vta

napaaj adv loc opposite side or direction

napaajaya'ii adv loc the left side; the wrong way; the wrong side

napaajigaabawi vai s/he stands the wrong way

napaajisin vii it lies in the wrong place

napaajiigisin vii it (sheet-like) lies the wrong way, lies with the wrong side out

napaazikamoozh vta [BL] put (it; clothing) on h/ backwards

napaazikan vti wear it the wrong way; put it on the wrong way

Paired with: napaazikaw vta

napaazikige vai s/he wears things wrong; s/he puts things on wrong
napaazikaw vta wear h/ the wrong way; put h/ on the wrong way

Paired with: napaazikan vti

napaazikige vai s/he puts things on wrong; s/he wears things wrong

napodin na a dumpling

(verb of making) napodinike vai s/he makes dumplings
napodinike vai s/he makes dumplings

nasanaamo vai s/he exhales; s/he recovers h/ breath

nasawaya'ii adv loc [RL] in between them

See also: nisawaya'ii adv loc

nasaabikinigan ni [RL] a trigger

See also: nisaabikinigan ni [BL]

nasaabikise vii it fires accidentally, triggers, goes off by itself

nasaaboode vii it washes out

nase'an vti stir it to form sugar

(detransitive) nase'ige vai s/he stirs to form sugar (derived noun) nase'igan ni granulated maple sugar
nase'igan ni granulated maple sugar

nase'ige vai s/he stirs to form sugar

naseyaawangwaan ni a sugaring trough

naseyaawangwe vai s/he granulates sugar

(derived noun) naseyaawangwaan ni a sugaring trough
nashikewabi vai [NI] s/he lives alone, is home alone, sits alone

See also: nazhikewabi vai

nashke pc interj look!

See also: inashke pc disc ; ashke pc interj

nashke giniin pc interj look!

nawadam vta take a bite of h/; take hold of h/ in mouth

Paired with: nawadandan vti

nawadandan vti take a bite of it; take hold of it in h/ mouth

Paired with: nawadam vta

(detransitive) nawadanjige vai s/he takes hold of things in h/ mouth. takes a bite of things
nawadanjige vai s/he takes hold of things in h/ mouth. takes a bite of things

nawadide vii it catches fire

Paired with: nawadizo vai

nawadin vta grab, seize h/

Paired with: nawadinan vti

(detransitive) nawadiniwe vai s/he grabs, seizes people; s/he takes captives (reciprocal) nawadinidiwag vai they grab each other
nawadinamaw vta grab (it) of h/; seize (it) of h/

nawadinan vti grab, seize it

Paired with: nawadin vta

(detransitive) nawadinige vai s/he grabs, seizes something (benefactive) nawadinamaw vta grab (it) of h/; seize (it) of h/
nawadinidiwag vai they grab each other

nawadinige vai s/he grabs, seizes something

nawadiniwe vai s/he takes captives; s/he grabs, seizes people

nawadizo vai s/he or it (animate) catches fire

Paired with: nawadide vii

nawagikwebi vai s/he sits with h/ head down

nawagikwegaabawi vai s/he stands with head down

nawagikweni vai s/he puts h/ head down, bows h/ head, nods h/ head

nawagikweshimo vai s/he dances with h/ head down

nawagikwetaw vta bow head to h/

nawaj adv deg more

nawaj igo adv deg somewhat more

nawajibidoon vti2 grab, seize it

Paired with: nawajibizh vta

nawajibizh vta grab, seize h/

Paired with: nawajibidoon vti2

nawajii vai s/he eats a light meal, takes a lunch break

nawajiitaa vai

nawapo vai s/he takes provisions along, takes a lunch along

nawapwaan ni provisions, a lunch taken along (verb of making) nawapwaanike vai s/he prepares provisions for a trip, makes a lunch to take along
nawapwaan ni provisions, a lunch taken along

nawapwaanike vai s/he prepares provisions for a trip, makes a lunch to take along

nawekide vii it stands bent over

Paired with: nawekizo vai

nawekizo vai it (animate) stands bent over

Paired with: nawekide vii

nawetaa vai it (animate) bends over

nayaag adv tmp ahead of time; previously

nazhikewabi vai s/he lives alone, is home alone, sits alone

See also: anzhikewabi vai [RL] ; nashikewabi vai [NI]

nazhikewaakwadabi vai s/he sits alone

nazhikewige vai s/he lives alone

See also: anzhikewige vai

nazhikewizi vai s/he is alone, is one, is the only one

nazikwe' vta comb h/ hair

nazikwe'o vai s/he combs h/ (own) hair

See also: anzikwe'o vai [RL]

naa pc emph well!

naabagomo vai s/he goes back in place on the water, puts h/ boat back

naaba'oode vii it is strung on, is threaded

Paired with: naaba'oozo vai

naaba'oodoon vti2 string it on a line, thread it

naaba'oozo vai it (animate) is strung on

Paired with: naaba'oode vii

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.