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naadazina'ige vai s/he goes to collect a debt

naadaabaso vai s/he follows, is attracted by the aroma

naadaabowe vai [N] s/he goes after water or something to drink

naadaakwa' vta retrieve it (animate) with a stick or pole

Paired with: naadaakwa'an vti

naadaakwa'an vti retrieve it with a pole or stick

Paired with: naadaakwa' vta

naadaandawaadan vti climb after it

See also: naadaandawaazh vta

naadaandawaazh vta climb after h/

Paired with: naadaandawaadan vti

naadaandawe vai s/he climbs after (something or someone)

(applicative) naadaandawaadan vti climb after it (applicative) naadaandawaazh vta climb after h/
naadaanzhide vai s/he goes get boughs (for lodge flooring)

naadaaso vai s/he goes after things

naadin vti3 go get, go after, fetch it

Paired with: naazh vta

(benefactive) naadamaw vta
  1. go get (it) for h/
  2. help h/ (by going to h/ aid)
(reciprocal) naadamaadiwag vai they go get (it) for each other, help each other (detransitive) naadamaage vai s/he helps people naadamaazo vai s/he goes after something for h/ self
(benefactive) naadaw vta go get (it) for h/, fetch (it) for h/ (verb of undergoing) naajigaade vii it is fetched, picked up (by someone); "they" fetch it, pick it up (verb of undergoing) naajigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is fetched, picked up (by someone); "they" fetch, pick h/ or it (animate) up
naadinise vai s/he goes to get firewood

naadinisedaabii vai s/he goes to get a sledload of firewood

naadoobii vai s/he gathers sap; s/he goes to get water or other liquid

naadoobiibizo vai s/he drives to get water or other liquid

naadoobiikana ni a trail used to get water or sap

naadoodewaadan vti crawl to it, crawl after it

Paired with: naadoodewaazh vta

naadoodewaazh vta crawl to to h/, crawl after h/

Paired with: naadoodewaadan vti

naadoom vta go get h/ on the back

Paired with: naadoondan vti

naadoondan vti go to get it on the back

Paired with: naadoom vta

naadwewe'wi'

naadwewem vta call with voice for h/ to come

(reciprocal) naadwewendiwag vai they call for each other (to come)
naadwewendiwag vai they call for each other (to come)

naagadawaabam vta observe, study h/

Paired with: naagadawaabandan vti

naagadawaabandan vti observe, study it

Paired with: naagadawaabam vta

naagadawendam vai2 s/he thinks

Paired with: naagadawenim vta

naagadawendan vti think about it

Paired with: naagadawenim vta

naagadawenim vta think about h/

Paired with: naagadawendan vti

naagaj adv qnt later, after a while, eventually

naage adv tmp later, after a while, eventually; further

naage waasa adv loc quite a ways but not too far

naago' vta make h/ show; reveal h/

Paired with: naagotoon vti2

(reflexive) naago'idizo vai s/he makes h/ self seen, reveals h/ self
naago'idizo vai s/he makes h/ self seen, reveals h/ self

naagotoon vti2 make it show; reveal it

Paired with: naago' vta

naagozi vai s/he or it (animate) is visible, appears

Paired with: naagwad vii

naagwad vii it is visible, appears

Paired with: naagozi vai

naajibatwaadan vti run to get it, run after it

Paired with: naajibatwaazh vta

naajibatwaazh vta run to get h/

Paired with: naajibatwaadan vti

naajibizo' vta [BL] drive to get h/

Paired with: naajibizotoon vti2 [BL] See also: naajibizoni' vta

naajibizoni' vta drive to get h/

Paired with: naajibizonitoon vti2

naajibizonitoon vti2 drive to get it

Paired with: naajibizoni' vta

naajibizotoon vti2 [BL] drive to get it

Paired with: naajibizo' vta [BL] See also: naajibizonitoon vti2

naajidaabaadan vti go after it by sled or wagon, go drag it in

Paired with: naajidaabaazh vta

naajidaabaane vai s/he goes after a car or cars

naajidaabaazh vta go after h/ by sled or wagon, go drag h/ in

Paired with: naajidaabaadan vti

naajidaabii vai s/he goes after things by sled or wagon

naajidewe'igane vai s/he goes after a drum

naajigaabawitan vti go and stand by it

Paired with: naajigaabawitaw vta

naajigaabawitaw vta go and stand by h/; crowd h/ by standing close

Paired with: naajigaabawitan vti

naajigaade vii it is fetched, picked up (by someone); "they" fetch it, pick it up

naajigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is fetched, picked up (by someone); "they" fetch, pick h/ or it (animate) up

naajigwaadan vti get it with a stick or stick-like tool, rake it over with a stick or stick-like tool

Paired with: naajigwaazh vta

naajigwaazh vta get h/ with a stick or stick-like tool, rake h/ over with a stick or stick-like tool

Paired with: naajigwaadan vti

naajijiimaane vai s/he goes after a canoe or boat

naajimanoomine vai s/he goes after the rice

naajimaam vta follow h/ smell

Paired with: naajimaandan vti

naajimaandan vti follow its smell

Paired with: naajimaam vta

naajimiijime vai s/he goes to get food

naajinigaadan vti go to get it on the shoulder

Paired with: naajinigaazh vta

naajinigaazh vta go to get h/ on the shoulder

Paired with: naajinigaadan vti

naajinige vai s/he goes to get something on h/ shoulder

(applicative) naajinigaadan vti go to get it on the shoulder (applicative) naajinigaazh vta go to get h/ on the shoulder
naajinizha' vta go after h/; send for h/; order h/

Paired with: naajinizha'an vti

naajinizha'amaw vta order (it) for h/

naajinizha'an vti go after it; send for it; order it

Paired with: naajinizha' vta

(benefactive) naajinizha'amaw vta order (it) for h/ (verb of undergoing) naajinizha'igaade vii it is sent for (by someone), "they" send for it (verb of undergoing) naajinizha'igaazo vai s/he is sent for (by someone), "they" send for h/ (detransitive) naajinizha'ige vai s/he asks for, requests, orders things
(benefactive) naajinizha'igetamaw vta order (things) for h/
naajinizha'igaade vii it is sent for (by someone), "they" send for it

naajinizha'igaazo vai s/he is sent for (by someone), "they" send for h/

naajinizha'ige vai s/he asks for, requests, orders things

naajinizha'ige-mazina'igan ni a mail-order catalogue

naajinizha'igetamaw vta order (things) for h/

naajishkodewe vai s/he goes to get fire, goes to get a flame

naajiwane vai s/he goes after a pack load

naajiwanii'ige vai s/he goes to get the traps, goes to check the traps

naajiwaagaakwadwe vai s/he goes after an ax

naajiweba' vta get it (animate) by knocking it with something

Paired with: naajiweba'an vti See also: naajiweba'wi vta [NI]

naajiweba'an vti get it by knocking it with something

Paired with: naajiweba'wi vta [NI] ; naajiweba' vta

naajiweba'igan ni something used to get something: a reaching stick, a grabber

See also: naajiweba'iganaak ni

naajiweba'iganaak ni something used to get something: a reaching stick, a grabber

See also: naajiweba'igan ni

naajiweba'wi vta [NI] get it (animate) by knocking it with something

Paired with: naajiweba'an vti

naajiwebishkan vti get it working with the feet, rake it over with the feet

Paired with: naajiwebishkaw vta

naajiwebishkaw vta get h/ working with the feet, rake h/ over with the feet

Paired with: naajiwebishkan vti

naajiwiigwaase vai s/he goes after birchbark

naajizhooniyaawe vai s/he goes after money

naamikweni vai s/he nods h/ head

naamikwetaw vta nod head yes to h/

naamiwana'o vai s/he goes downwind in a boat

naamiwanakwazhiwe vai s/he paddles with the wind

naamiwanaa'ogo vai s/he drifts on the waves with the wind at h/ back

naamiwanaasin vii it is blown with the wind

Paired with: naamiwanaashi vai

naamiwanaashi vai s/he is blown with the wind

Paired with: naamiwanaasin vii

naan nad gramma!

naanabem adv man it should have been done; too late; it's about time; why now?

naanan qnt num five

naananinoon vii they (inanimate) are five, there are five of them

Paired with: naananiwag vai

naananiwag vai they (animate) are five, there are five of them (animate)

Paired with: naananinoon vii

naanaaba'azh vta walk in h/ footsteps., step in h/ tracks

naanaabiganesewan vii they (bones) fall back into place

naanaabisewan vii they (inanimate)_ each go back into place

naanaabishebizo vai s/he wears earrings

naanaagadawaabam vta watch h/ carefully, observe h/

Paired with: naanaagadawaabandan vti

(reflexive) naanaagadawaabandizo vai s/he looks h/ self over (reciprocal) naanaagadawaabandiwag vai they watch each other carefully, observe each other
naanaagadawaabandan vti watch it carefully, observe it

Paired with: naanaagadawaabam vta

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.