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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

onzaamibazh vta overfill h/ (with liquid); give h/ too much to drink

Paired with: onzaamibadoon vti2

onzaamibide vii it drives or operates too fast, too far, or excessively

Paired with: onzaamibizo vai

onzaamibizo vai s/he drives too fast or too far, overshoots h/ destination

Paired with: onzaamibide vii

onzaamibii vai s/he drinks too much

onzaamibii vii

onzaamichige vai s/he overdoes things

onzaamide vii it is overcooked

Paired with: onzaamizo vai

onzaamidoon vai [LL] [ML] s/he talks too much, is mouthy

See also: onzaamidoone vai [N]

onzaamidoone vai [N] s/he talks too much, is mouthy

See also: onzaamidoon vai [LL] [ML]

onzaamigaamo vai s/he is excessively fat

onzaamigidaazo vai s/he is extremely angry, is irate, is furious

onzaamigiizhwe vai s/he exaggerates, talks too much

onzaami'o vai s/he eats too much

onzaamine vai s/he is very sick

onzaamingwaam vai [ML] s/he oversleeps

See also: onzaamingwaamo vai [BL] ; onzaamingwaami vai [RL]

onzaamingwaami vai [RL] s/he oversleeps

See also: onzaamingwaam vai [ML] ; onzaamingwaamo vai [BL]

onzaamingwaamo vai [BL] s/he ovesleeps

See also: onzaamingwaam vai [ML] ; onzaamingwaami vai [RL]

onzaamitoon vti2 make too much of it

onzaamiwane vai s/he carries too much in h/ pack

onzaamiz vta overheat, overcook h/

Paired with: onzaamizan vti

onzaamizh vta cut h/ too much; overcut h/

Paired with: onzaamizhan vti

onzaamizan vti overheat, overcook it

Paired with: onzaamiz vta

onzaamizhan vti cut it too much

onzaamizo vai it (animate) is overcooked

Paired with: onzaamide vii

onzaamiikan vti overdo, indulge in, be addicted to it

Paired with: onzaamiikaw vta

onzaamiikaw vta overdo, indulge in, be addicted to it (animate)

Paired with: onzaamiikan vti

onzaamiinad vii [plural] there are a large number of them, are too many of them; there is a large amount of it, is too much of it

Paired with: onzaamiino vai

onzaamiinadoon vii there are an excessive number of them; [sing] it is in excessive amount

onzaamiino vai [plural] there is a large number of them (animate); there are too many of them (animate); there is a large amount of h/, is too much of h/

Paired with: onzaamiinad vii

onzekwe vai s/he cooks by boiling, boils down, distills

onzigaade vii it is boiled (by someone), "they" boil it

Paired with: onzigaazo vai

onzigaazo vai s/he is boiled (by someone), "they" boil h/

Paired with: onzigaade vii

onzige vai s/he boils things

onzikaa vai s/he comes for a certain reason; s/he comes from a certain place

Paired with: onzikaa vii

onzikaa vii it comes from a certain place, originates in a certain place; it leaks

onzo vai s/he boils, is boiled

Paired with: onde vii

onzo vta boil h/

Paired with: onzan vti

onzom vta scold, nag h/

(detransitive) onzonge vai s/he nags, scolds (people)
onzomaawaso vai s/he scolds a child

onzonge vai s/he nags, scolds (people)

onzwi vta [NI]

► onzo vta

opan nid h/ lung

opaa' vta keep h/ awake

(detransitive) opaa'iwe vai s/he keeps people awake (reciprocal) opaa'idiwag vai they keep each other awake
opaa'idiwag vai they keep each other awake

opaa'iwe vai s/he keeps people awake

opaakamigizi vai s/he disturbs sleep with activity

opaam vta keep h/ awake by talking

opaama'amaazo vai s/he keeps people awake by singing

opichi na a robin

[
American robin
; 
Turdus migratorius
]

See also: apichi na [BL]

opigayan nad [BL] h/ rib

opigemag nid [ML] h/ rib

opikwan nid h/ back

opime- pv lex on its side; to the side

opime-aya'ii adv loc on the side of it

See also: opimeya'ii adv loc

opime-ayi'ii adv loc on the side of it

opimebi vai s/he sits to one side, sits on one cheek

opimekana adv loc along the side of the road or trail

opimese vai s/he goes, falls on h/ side; it (animate) goes, falls on its side

opimesidoon vti2 lay it on its side

Paired with: opimeshim vta

opimesin vii it lies on its side

Paired with: opimeshin vai

opimeshim vta lay h/ on h/ side

Paired with: opimesidoon vti2

opimeshin vai s/he lies on h/ side; it (animate) lies on its side

Paired with: opimesin vii

opimewebin vta flip h/ on h/ side

Paired with: opimewebinan vti

opimewebinan vti flip it on its side

opimewebishkan vti kick it over on its side

opimewebishkaw vta kick h/ over on h/ side

Paired with: opimewebishkan vti

opimeya'ii adv loc on the side of it

See also: opime-aya'ii adv loc

opin na a potato

(verb of abundance) opiniikaa vii there are (many) potatoes
opinii-manidoons na a potato bug

opinii-mashkimod ni a potato sack

opiniikaa vii there are (many) potatoes

opiniiwaaboo ni potato soup

opiniiwigamig ni a root cellar

opwaagan na a pipe

(verb of possession) odoopwaagani vai s/he has a pipe or pipes (verb of making) opwaaganike vai s/he makes a pipe
opwaaganasin na pipestone

opwaagani-nagamon ni a pipe song

opwaaganike vai s/he makes a pipe

opwaagaans na a cigarette

See also: asemaans na

osayenyan nad h/ older brother

osayenyi vai s/he has an older brother

osidaawendam vai2 s/he is sad, dejected, sorrowful

oshaakamaw vta scare h/ (game animal) away

oshaakamigizi vai s/he makes noise and scare off game

oshaakaw vta scare h/ (a game animal) away

oshaam vta scare h/ away by talking or with vocal noise

oshaawewezige vai s/he scares off game by firing a weapon

oshaawewidam vai2 s/he scares game by hollaring and yelling

oshedinaa vii there is a ridge

oshekamigaa vii it (ground) forms a ridge or pile

osheyaabikaa vii there is a rocky ridge or reef

osheyiigishkaa vii it (sheet-like) folds into a pleat, is pleated

oshezigoshkaa vii it is an ice pressure ridge

oshimisan nad h/ niece (cross niece: female's brother's daughter or male's sister's daughter)

oshiimeyan nad h/ younger sibling (brother or sister); h/ younger parallel cousin (mother's sister's child; father's brother's child)

oshkabinoojiinh na a newborn baby, an infant

(verb of being) oshkabinoojiinyiwi vai s/he is a newborn baby, is an infant
oshkabinoojiinyiwi vai s/he is a newborn baby, is an infant

oshkagoode vai she has a new dress

oshkagoojin vai it (animate) is new (of a moon)

oshkakizine vai s/he has new shoes, has new tires

oshkanzhii vai s/he has nails or claws

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.