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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

naanoondaagomo' vta keep making sounds on or with it (animate); keep making sounds at h/

naanoondaagozi vai s/he calls repeatedly as an animal

naanoopidewan vii five of them (inanimate) are tied together

Paired with: naanoopizowag vai

naanoopidoon vti2 tie five of them (inanimate) together

Paired with: naanoopizh vta

naanoopizh vta tie, hitch five of them (animate) together

naanoopizowag vai five of them (animate) are tied together, are hitched together

Paired with: naanoopidewan vii

naanooshkimod qnt num five bags

naanooshkin qnt num five bags

naanwaginzo vai [BL] it is the fifth (of the month)

naanwaabik qnt num five dollars

naanwaabiig adv num five strands, five strings

naanwaak qnt num five hundred

naanweg qnt num five pieces of something sheet-like

naanweginigan qnt num five packs

naanwemikwaanens qnt num five spoonfuls

naanwewaan qnt num five pairs; five sets

naanwewaanagadoon vii there are five sets, pairs, or kinds of them (inanimate)

Paired with: naanwewaanagiziwag vai

naanwewaanagiziwag vai there are five sets, pairs, or kinds of them (animate)

Paired with: naanwewaanagadoon vii

naasanaa pc disc come on!; look out!

naasaab adv man alike; the same

naasaabibii'an vti copy it in writing

(detransitive) naasaabibii'ige vai s/he copies things in writing
naasaabibii'ige vai s/he copies things in writing

naawagaam adv loc in the middle of the lake

See also: naanaawagaam adv loc

naawakamig adv loc in middle of the earth, ground

naawakwe vii it is mid-day, is noon

naawakwe-miijin vti3 eat it for lunch, for dinner (the noon meal)

naawakwe-wiidoopam vta eat lunch with h/

naawakwe-wiisini vai s/he eats lunch, eats dinner (the noon meal)

naawashkina' vta fill h/ up partly (with solids)

Paired with: naawashkinatoon vti2

naawashkinatoon vti2 fill it up partly (with solids)

Paired with: naawashkina' vta

naawashkine vai s/he is partly full (of solids)

Paired with: naawashkine vii

naawashkine vii it is partly full (of solids)

Paired with: naawashkine vai

naawashkiig adv loc in the middle of the muskeg

naawashkosiw adv loc in the middle of a meadow

naawaya'ii adv loc [N] in the middle of it

See also: naawayi'ii adv loc

naawayi'ii adv loc in the middle of it

See also: naawaya'ii adv loc [N]

naawaajiwan adv loc in the middle of the current or the rapids

naawaakigan adv loc in the middle of someone's chest

naawaakwaa adv loc in the middle of the woods

naawaawigan adv loc in the middle of someone's back

naaweg adv loc in the middle of a blanket or material

naawewe'o vai he (partridge) is heard drumming in the distance

naawi- pv lex in the middle of

naawi-baawitig adv loc in the middle of the current or the rapids

naawi-gichigami adv loc

naawi-minis adv loc in the middle of the island

naawi-minisaabik adv loc in the middle (center) of a reef

naawi-waazh adv loc in the middle of the burrow or den

naawi-ziibi adv loc in the middle of the river

naawibadoon vti2 fill it up partly (with liquid)

Paired with: naawibazh vta

naawibag adv loc in the middle of a leaf

naawibazh vta fill h/ up partly (with liquid)

Paired with: naawibadoon vti2

naawibii vai s/he is partly full (of liquid)

Paired with: naawibii vii

naawibii vii it is partly full (of liquid)

Paired with: naawibii vai

naawigatig adv loc in the middle of the forehead

naawij adv loc out in the lake

naawijiine' vta part h/ hair, comb a part in h/ hair

(reflexive) naawijiine'odizo vai s/he parts h/ own hair
naawijiine'o vai s/he parts h/ (own) hair, combs a part in h/ (own) hair; s/he has a part in h/ hair

naawijiine'odizo vai s/he parts h/ own hair

naawikana adv loc in the middle of the road or trail

naawikwam adv loc in the middle of the ice, out on the ice

naawinaagozi vai s/he is barely visible, is visible in the distance

Paired with: naawinaagwad vii

naawinaagwad vii it is barely visible, is visible in the distance

Paired with: naawinaagozi vai

naawininj ni a middle finger

naawininj adv loc in the middle of someone's hand

naawisag adv loc in the middle of the floor

naawiskatig adv loc in the middle of someone's forehead

naawishkode adv loc in middle of the fire

naawishkwaand adv loc in the middle of the doorway

naawitan vti hear it faintly in the distance

Paired with: naawitaw vta

naawitaw vta hear h/ faintly in the distance

Paired with: naawitan vti

naawitaagozi vai s/he is heard faintly in the distance

Paired with: naawitaagwad vii

naawitaagwad vii it is heard faintly in the distance

Paired with: naawitaagozi vai

naawizid adv loc in the middle of someone's foot

naawoodena adv loc in the middle of town

naawoonag adv loc in the middle of a boat

naayanh pc disc correct?; right?

naazh vta go get, go after, fetch h/

Paired with: naadin vti3

naazhakiiyaasin vii it flies, soars, falls, or is blown by the wind down to the ground

Paired with: naazhakiiyaashi vai

naazhakiiyaashi vai s/he flies, soars, falls, or is blown by the wind down to the ground; s/he parachutes down to the ground

Paired with: naazhakiiyaasin vii

naazhaabiigibizo vai s/he slides down a rope

naazhaabiigin vta lower h/ on a rope

Paired with: naazhaabiiginan vti

naazhaabiiginan vti lower it on a rope

Paired with: naazhaabiigin vta

naazhaabii'igan ni a violin, a fiddle

naazhaabii'ige vai s/he plays the violin, plays the fiddle

naazhaagamishkaa vii the temperature goes down

naazhaatenan vti shine it lower

(detransitive) naazhaatenige vai s/he shines the light lower
naazhaatenige vai s/he shines the light lower

naazhaatewebinige vai s/he flips a light to shine lower, dims the headlights

naazhenamaw vta turn (it) down for h/

naazhenan vti turn it (fire, light) down

(benefactive) naazhenamaw vta turn (it) down for h/ (detransitive) naazhenige vai s/he turns things (fire, lights) down (verb of undergoing) naazhenigaade vii it is turned down (by someone), "they" turn it down
naazhenigaade vii it is turned down (by someone), "they" turn it down

naazhenige vai s/he turns things (fire, lights) down

naazhibide vii [BL] it goes down fast to a lower position: flies, falls, slides, speeds down

Paired with: naazhibizo vai [BL]

naazhibidoon vti2 pull it down; tear it down; unzip it

Paired with: naazhibizh vta

naazhibizh vta pull h/ down

Paired with: naazhibidoon vti2

naazhibizo vai [BL] s/he or it (animate) goes down fast to a lower position: flies, falls, slides, swoops, speeds down

Paired with: naazhibide vii [BL]

naazibii vai [BL] s/he goes down to the water, goes after water

naazibiiba' vta

naazibiiba'idiwag vai they run down to the water together

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.