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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

odoozhimikweman nad h/ stepdaughter

odoozhimisan nad h/ niece (parallel niece: female's sister's daughter or male's brother's daughter)

odoozhimiwayaanan nad h/ nephew's hide

ogashkibidaagani vai s/he has a medicine bag

ogashkibidaaganin vai + o have it or it (animate) as a pouch

ogashkimanisii na [NI] a kingfisher

[
belted kingfisher
; 
Ceryle alcyon 
]

See also: ogiishkimanisii na

ogaa na a walleye

[
Stizostedion vitreum
]

ogaazhagensimi vai s/he has a cat or cats

ogichidaa na a ceremonial headman; a warrior, a veteran

(verb of being) ogichidaawi vai s/he is an ogichidaa (ceremonial headman), is a warrior, is a veteran
ogichidaa-nagamo vai s/he sings a warrior song

ogichidaa-nagamon ni a warrior song

ogichidaakwe na a ceremonial headwoman; wife of ceremonial headman

ogichidaawi vai s/he is an ogichidaa (ceremonial headman), is a warrior, is a veteran

ogidabak adv loc on top of the roof

ogidadewe vai s/he goes on top of the snow crust

ogidadewebatoo vai s/he runs on top of the snowcrust

ogidadewenam vai2 s/he walks on top of the snow crust

ogidadeweyaa vii

ogidadoopowinaak adv loc [BL] on top of a table

ogidajiw adv loc on top of a mountain

See also: agidajiw adv loc [ML]

ogidakamig adv loc on top of the ground

See also: agidakamig adv loc ; wagidakamig adv loc

ogidaabik adv loc on top of something mineral (e.g., metal, glass, rock)

See also: agidaabik adv loc

ogidaagonag adv loc on top of the snow

See also: wagidaagonag adv loc

ogidaagonebizo vai s/he or it (animate) drives on top of the snow

ogidaagonekawe vai s/he leaves tracks on top of the snow

ogidaajiwan adv loc upstream

See also: agidaajiwan adv loc [ML] ; ogiidaajiwan adv loc [BL]

ogidaaki adv loc on top of a hill; uphill

See also: agidaaki adv loc [ML] ; wagidaaki adv loc

ogidaakiiwe vai s/he goes uphill, climbs up to the top

ogidaakiiwebatoo vai s/he runs uphill

See also: agidaakiiwebatoo vai [ML]

ogidaakiiwebizo vai s/he or it (animate) drives uphill

ogidaakiiwedaabaadan vti drag it uphill

Paired with: ogidaakiiwedaabaazh vta

ogidaakiiwedaabaazh vta drag h/ uphill

Paired with: ogidaakiiwedaabaadan vti

ogidaakiiwedaabii vai s/he goes uphill pulling a load

(applicative) ogidaakiiwedaabaadan vti drag it uphill (applicative) ogidaakiiwedaabaazh vta drag h/ uphill
ogidaakiiwekamigaa vii it (the ground) slopes upwards

ogidaakiiwemon vii [RL] it (a road or trail) leads uphill

ogidaakiiwenige vai s/he carries something uphill on h/ shoulders

ogidaakiiwewidoon vti2 carry, take it uphill

Paired with: ogidaakiiwewizh vta

ogidaakiiwewizh vta carry, take h/ uphill

Paired with: ogidaakiiwewidoon vti2

ogidaandag on top of a bough

ogidaatig adv loc on top of a log, piece of wood, stick, or tree

ogidaawigan adv loc [BL] on the back

ogidibiig adv loc on top of the water

ogidig nid [C] [N] h/ knee

ogidigamig adv loc on top of the house; upstairs

See also: agidigamig adv loc

ogidigwan nad [ML] h/ knee

ogidoonag adv loc on top of a canoe or boat

See also: agidoonag adv loc [ML]

ogijaya'ii adv loc [N] on top, on top of

See also: ogijayi'ii adv loc [ML] ; wagijaya'ii adv loc

ogijayi'ii adv loc [ML] on top, on top of

See also: ogijaya'ii adv loc [N]

ogiji- pv lex on top, on top of

See also: agiji- pv lex

ogiji-adoopowin adv loc on the table

ogiji-desabiwin adv loc [BL] on top of the chair

ogiji-jiimaan adv loc on top of a canoe or boat

ogiji-nibewin adv loc on top of a bed

ogiji-waakaa'igan adv loc on the top of a house or building; on the roof

ogijidaabaan adv loc on top of a vehicle (car, truck, wagon)

See also: wagijidaabaan adv loc

ogijijiingwan adv loc on someone's lap

See also: wagijijiingwan adv loc

ogijizigwakwazhiwe vai s/he paddles up on the ice

ogimaa na
  1. a leader (male): a boss, a chief, a king
  2. a king (playing card)

(verb of being) ogimaawi vai s/he is a leader, is a boss, is a chief
(derived noun) ogimaawiwin ni government; authority; leadership (causative) ogimaawi' vta make h/ the boss or leader
(verb of pretending) ogimaakaazo vai s/he pretends to be the boss ogimaakaw vta make h/ chief; make h/ leader (verb of possession) odoogimaami vai s/he has a boss or bosses, a chief or chiefs
ogimaa-mishibizhii na chief of the great panthers

ogimaa-nagamon ni chief song

ogimaakandan vti rule, govern it

Paired with: ogimaakandaw vta

ogimaakandaw vta rule, govern h/

Paired with: ogimaakandan vti

ogimaakaw vta make h/ chief; make h/ leader

ogimaakaan na [BL] a chief

(verb of being) ogimaakaaniwi vai [BL] s/he is a chief
ogimaakaaniwi vai [BL] s/he is a chief

ogimaakaazo vai s/he pretends to be the boss

ogimaakwe na a female leader, boss, chief; a queen; a wife of a chief

(verb of being) ogimaakwewi vai she is a leader, boss, chief, queen; she is the wife of a leader, boss, chief
ogimaakwens na a princess

ogimaakwensiwi vai she is a princess
ogimaakwensiwi vai she is a princess

ogimaakwewi vai she is a leader, boss, chief, queen; she is the wife of a leader, boss, chief

ogimaans na a prince

ogimaawi vai s/he is a leader, is a boss, is a chief

ogimaawigamig ni an administrative office; a head office

ogimaawi' vta make h/ the boss or leader

ogimaawiwin ni government; authority; leadership

ogin na a tomato; a rose hip

(verb of abundance) oginiikaa vii there are (many) roses, rosehips
oginii-dagonigan ni ketchup, catsup

oginii-waabigwan ni a rose

oginiikaa vii there are (many) roses, rosehips

oginiiwaaboo ni tomato juice

oginiiwaande vii it is rose-colored, is pink

Paired with: oginiiwaanzo vai

oginiiwaanzan vti color it pink

oginiiwaanzo vai s/he or it (animate) is rose-colored, is pink

Paired with: oginiiwaande vii

oginiiwaatig ni a rose bush

[
Rosa spp
]

oginiiwegad vii it (sheet-like) is pink

Paired with: oginiiwegizi vai

oginiiwegizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is pink

Paired with: oginiiwegad vii

oginiiwinaagozi vai it (animate) looks pink, appears pink

Paired with: oginiiwinaagwad vii

oginiiwinaagwad vii it looks pink, appears pink

Paired with: oginiiwinaagozi vai

ogitiziiman nad h/ parent

ogii vai s/he has a mother

ogiidaajiwan adv loc [BL] upstream

See also: agidaajiwan adv loc [ML] ; ogidaajiwan adv loc

ogiidaajiwanwekwazhiwe vai s/he paddles upstream

ogiikadaanaangwe na a salamander, a lizard

ogiin nad h/ mother

ogiishkimanisii na a kingfisher

[
belted kingfisher
; 
Ceryle alcyon
]

See also: ogashkimanisii na [NI]

ogiizhikimi vai s/he has cedar

ogokeyawin vai + o [N] have or use it/it (animate) as bait

ogondashkway nid h/ throat

ogow pron dem [N] these (animate plural)

See also: ogowe pron dem [N] ; ongow pron dem [C] [S]

ogowe pron dem [N] these (animate plural)

See also: ogow pron dem [N] ; ongow pron dem [C] [S] ; ogoweg pron dem [N]

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.