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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

ombiigwewesin vii it makes a racket

Paired with: ombiigweweshin vai

ombiigweweshim vta make a racket with h/

Paired with: ombiigwewesidoon vti2

ombiigweweshin vai s/he makes a racket

Paired with: ombiigwewesin vii

omboom vta lift h/, it (animate) on h/ back

Paired with: omboondan vti

omboomigo vai s/he mounts a horse, gets on horseback

omboondan vti lift it on h/ back

Paired with: omboom vta

ombwendam vai2

ombwewebin vta throw it (animate) around in disorder

ombwewebinan vta throw it around

Paired with: ombwewebin vta

(detransitive) ombwewebinige vai s/he throws things around; s/he makes a mess (verb of undergoing) ombwewebinigaade vii it is thrown around (by someone), "they" throw it around (verb of undergoing) ombwewebinigaazo vai h/ or it (animate) is thrown around (by someone), "they" throw h/ or it (animate) around
ombwewebinigaade vii it is thrown around (by someone), "they" throw it around

ombwewebinigaazo vai h/ or it (animate) is thrown around (by someone), "they" throw h/ or it (animate) around

ombwewebinige vai s/he makes a mess; s/he throws things around

ombwewebishkan vti

ombweyaasin vii it blows up and around

Paired with: ombweyaashi vai

ombweyaashi vai s/he or it (animate) is blown up and around

Paired with: ombweyaasin vii

omigidaamikane vai s/he has a sore or sores, a scab or scabs on h/ jaw or chin

omigidiye vai s/he has a sore or sores, a scab or scabs on his rear

omigigaade vai s/he has a sore or sores, a scab or scabs on h/ leg

omigijaane vai s/he has a sore or sores, a scab or scabs on h/ nose

omigindibe vai s/he has scabs or sores on h/ head

omiginike vai s/he has a sore or sores, a scab or scabs on h/ arm

omigininjii vai s/he has a sore or sores, a scab or scabs on h/ hands

omigitawage vai s/he has a sore or sores, a scab or scabs on h/ ear

omigizide vai s/he has a sore or sores, a scab or scabs on h/ feet

omigii vai s/he has a sore or sores, has a scab or scabs

omigii-mashkiki ni medicine for sores

omigiingwe vai s/he has a sore or sores, a scab or scabs on h/ face

omigiiwi vai s/he has a scab or scabs

omigiiwidiye vai s/he has scabs or sores on h/ butt

omigiiwigaade vai s/he has a scab or scabs on h/ leg or legs

omigiiwijaane vai s/he has a scab on h/ nose

omigiiwinike vai s/he has a sore or sores, a scab or scabs on h/ arm or arms

omigiiwininjii vai [BL] s/he has a scab or scabs on h/ hand or hands

omigiiwiskatigwe vai s/he has a scab on h/ forehead

omigiiwitawage vai s/he has a scab or scabs on h/ ear or ears

omigiiwitigwaane vai [BL] s/he has a scab or scabs on h/ head

omigiiwizide vai s/he has a scab or scabs on h/ foot or feet

omigiiwiingwe vai s/he has a scab or scabs on h/ face

omisad nid h/ belly, stomach

omisenyan nad h/ older sister

omisenyi vai s/he has an older sister

omisewimaawi vai

omisimi vai s/he has firewood

omishoomeyan nad h/ uncle (parallel uncle: father's brother); h/ stepfather

omishoomisan nad h/ grandfather

omishoomisi vai s/he has a grandfather

omitigomi vai s/he has wood

omitigwapishimonike vai

omitigwaabii vai s/he has a bow or bows

omitigwaabiimi vai s/he has a bow or bows

omiigwani vai s/he has a feather or feathers

omiikininjii'waanag na pinfeathers

(verb of being) omiikininjii'waaniwi vai it (animate) has pinfeathers
omiikininjii'waaniwi vai it (animate) has pinfeathers

omiimii na a pigeon, a dove

omiimiisi na a mayfly

omiishigwaan nid h/ (single) pubic hair

omooday ni a bottle

(verb of possession) odoomoodaami vai s/he has a bottle
omoodayaabik ni (a piece of) glass; a bottle

omookomaani vai s/he has a knife or knives

omoonzomi vai s/he has a moose or moose

omoozhwaagani vai s/he has scissors

onabi vai s/he takes a seat, sits down

(causative) onabi' vta
  1. seat h/
  2. appoint h/, swear h/ in
(detransitive) onabi'iwe vai s/he seats people
(applicative) onabiitaw vta take a seat by h/
(reciprocal) onabiitaadiwag vai they take their seats together
onabi' vta
  1. seat h/
  2. appoint h/, swear h/ in

onabi'iwe vai s/he seats people

onabi'iwewinini an usher

onabise vai s/he accidentally falls down on h/ butt

onabiitaw vta take a seat by h/

onabiitaadiwag vai they take their seats together

onaboobiimi vai s/he has soup

onada' vta shape or form h/ by pounding with something

Paired with: onada'an vti

onada'an vti shape or form it by pounding with something

Paired with: onada' vta ; onada'wi vta [BL]

onada'wi vta [BL]

► onada' vta

onadin vta form, shape, knead, mold h/ (a soft substance) (by hand)

Paired with: onadinan vti

onadinan vti form, shape, knead, mold it (a soft substance) (by hand)

Paired with: onadin vta

(detransitive) onadinige vai s/he forms, shapes, kneads, molds something (a soft substance) (by hand) (derived noun) onadinigan na dough
onadinigan na dough

onadinige vai s/he forms, shapes, kneads, molds something (a soft substance) (by hand)

onaga'ayan nad its scale (of a fish)

onagaskway nid h/ palate

onagaakininj nid h/ palm

onagaakizid nid h/ sole

onagim vta appoint h/, swear h/ in; decide on h/; put a price or value on h/

Paired with: onagindan vti

onagindamaw vta set a price on something for h/

onagindan vti put a price or value on it

Paired with: onagim vta

(detransitive) onagindaaso vai s/he sets a price (benefactive) onagindamaw vta set a price on something for h/
onagindaaso vai s/he sets a price

onaginde vii it has a price or value

Paired with: onaginzo vai

onaginzo vai s/he or it (animate) has a price or value

Paired with: onaginde vii

onagizh nid h/ intestine, gut

onagizhiins ni a sausage; a wiener

onagoode vii it hangs in place

Paired with: onagoojin vai

onagoodoon vti2 hang it in place

Paired with: onagoozh vta

(detransitive) onagoojige vai s/he hangs things in place
onagoojige vai s/he hangs things in place

onagoojin vai s/he or it (animate) hangs in place

Paired with: onagoode vii

onagoozh vta hang h/ in place

Paired with: onagoodoon vti2

onagoozi vai s/he roosts up on something, is perched up on something

onagway nid h/ sleeve

onagwaagani vai s/he has a snare or snares

onakidoon vti2 set it up

Paired with: onakizh vta

onakizh vta set up h/

Paired with: onakidoon vti2

onakizo vai

onamegosi vai s/he has a lake trout or lake trout

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.