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wiibidaa-mashkikiiwinini na a dentist

wiibidaakaajiganan ni false teeth

wiibidaakaanan ni false teeth

wiibidaake vai s/he works on, makes teeth; s/he has dentures

wiibidaakewinini na a dentist

wiibidikaan ni [BL] false tooth

wiibijiinh na a goldeye

[
Hiodon alosoides
]

wiibwaa vii it becomes narrow; it constricts

wiidabim vta sit with h/

(reciprocal) wiidabindiwag vai they sit with each other
wiidabindiwag vai they sit with each other

wiidagwazhem vta share a blanket with h/

wiida'adoom vta walk with h/ on the trail or road

wiidakiwenziiyan nad his fellow old man, old companion

wiidanokiim vta work with h/

(reciprocal) wiidanokiindiwag vai they work with each other, work together (derived noun) wiidanokiimaagan na a co-worker, a fellow worker
wiidanokiimaagan na a co-worker, a fellow worker

wiidanokiindiwag vai they work with each other, work together

wiidaakizoom vta be photographed with h/

wiidige vai s/he marries, is married

wiidigekaazo vai s/he shacks up with someone wiidigem vta
  1. live with h/
  2. marry h/, be married to h/
(reciprocal) wiidigendiwag vai they marry, are married to each other
(derived noun) wiidigendiwin ni a marriage; a wedding
(derived noun) wiidigemaagan na a spouse, a husband, a wife, a partner (cohabitant), a companion (cohabitant)
wiidigekaazo vai s/he shacks up with someone

wiidigem vta
  1. live with h/
  2. marry h/, be married to h/

wiidigemaagan na a spouse, a husband, a wife, a partner (cohabitant), a companion (cohabitant)

wiidigendiwag vai they marry, are married to each other

wiidigendiwin ni a marriage; a wedding

wiidigewin ni a marriage

wiidosem vta walk with h/ on the trail or road

(reciprocal) wiidosendiwag vai they walk with each other
wiidosendiwag vai they walk with each other

wiidookaw vta help h/

(detransitive) wiidookaage vai s/he helps people (reflexive) wiidookaazo vai s/he helps (reflexive) wiidookodaadizo vai s/he helps h/ self (reciprocal) wiidookodaadiwag vai they help each other
wiidookawagenim vta sympathize with h/ in what h/ is doing; pull for, root for h/

wiidookaage vai s/he helps people

wiidookaagewikwe na a helper (female), an assistant (female)

wiidookaagewin ni help, assistance, aid

wiidookaagewinini na a helper, an assistant

wiidookaazo vai s/he helps

wiidookodaadiwag vai they help each other

wiidookodaadiwin ni mutual help or assistance, helping others

wiidookodaadizo vai s/he helps h/ self

wiidoonzhe vai s/he has a child with someone

wiidoonzhem vta have a child with h/
wiidoonzhem vta have a child with h/

wiidoopam vta eat with h/

(detransitive) wiidoopange vai s/he eats with others (reciprocal) wiidoopandiwag vai they eat with each other
wiidoopandiwag vai they eat with each other

wiidoopange vai s/he eats with others

wiigiwaam ni a wigwam, a lodge

(verb of possession) owiigiwaami vai s/he has a wigwam (verb of making) wiigiwaamike vai s/he makes, builds a wigwam
(verb of pretending) wiigiwaamikekaazo vai s/he pretends to make or build a wigwam
wiigiwaamaak ni a wigwam frame

wiigiwaamaatig ni a wigwam pole

wiigiwaamige vai s/he lives in a wigwam

wiigiwaamike vai s/he makes, builds a wigwam

wiigiwaamikekaazo vai s/he pretends to make or build a wigwam

wiigob na a basswood (tree)

[
American basswood
; 
Tillia americana
]

See also: wiigob ni ; wiigobaatig na ; wiigobimizh na ; wiigobiiwaatig na [BL]

(verb of abundance) wiigobiikaa vii there are (a lot of) basswood trees
wiigob ni inner bark of basswood, basswood bark fiber (bast)

See also: wiigob na

wiigobaatig na a basswood (tree)

[
American basswood
; 
Tillia americana
]

(verb of abundance) wiigobaatigokaa vii there are (many) basswood trees
wiigobaatigokaa vii there are (many) basswood trees

wiigobimizh na a basswood (tree)

[
American basswood
; 
Tillia americana
]

wiigobiibag ni a basswood leaf

wiigobiikaa vii there are (a lot of) basswood trees

wiigobiiwaatig na [BL] a basswood (tree)

wiigwaas na a birch

[
white birch
; 
Betula papyrifera
]

(verb of abundance) wiigwaasikaa vii there are (many) birches (verb of being) wiigwaasiwi vai it (animate) is a birch
wiigwaas ni birch bark; piece of birch bark

(verb of making) wiigwaasike vai s/he removes birch bark from the tree
wiigwaasabak ni a birch bark covering, a mat or roll of birchbark pieces sewn together

wiigwaasabakway ni a birch bark covering; roll of birch bark roofing

wiigwaasabakwaan na a birch bark roof

wiigwaasanakoons ni (tip of) birch twig

wiigwaasaatig na a birch tree

[
paper birch
; 
Betula papyrifera
]

See also: wiigwaas na ; wiigwaasi-mitig na

wiigwaasi-jiimaan ni a birch bark canoe

wiigwaasi-makak ni a birch bark basket or box

wiigwaasi-makako-waakaayaagibijigan ni a birchbark basket rim

wiigwaasi-mitig na a birch

[
white birch
; 
Betula papyrifera
]

wiigwaasibag ni a birch leaf

wiigwaasigamig ni a birch bark lodge

wiigwaasikaa vii there are (many) birches

wiigwaasike vai s/he removes birch bark from the tree

wiigwaasinaagan ni a birch bark dish or basket

(verb of making) wiigwaasinaaganike vai s/he makes birch bark basket
wiigwaasinaaganike vai s/he makes birch bark basket

wiigwaasiwi vai it (animate) is a birch

wiij'ayaaw vta be with h/; stay with h/

wiiji- pv lex in company with; with

wiiji-bagizoom vta swim with h/

wiiji-daam vta live beside h/; live with h/

(reciprocal) wiiji-daandiwag vai they live with or by each other
wiiji-daandiwag vai they live with or by each other

wiiji-giiyosem vta hunt with h/

wiiji-minikwem vta drink with h/

wiiji-nagamoom vta sing with h/

wiiji-odaminoom vta play with h/ (a companion in play)

(reciprocal) wiiji-odaminoondiwag vai they play with each other
wiiji-odaminoondiwag vai they play with each other

wiiji-wanii'igem vta trap with h/

wiijibatoom vta run with h/

wiijibizoom vta drive with h/ ; go on a ride with h/

wiijigamigishkaw vta be a neighbor to h/

wiijigaabawitaw vta stand with h/

wiijigim vta be the same age as h/

(reciprocal) wiijigindiwag vai they are the same age (derived noun) wiijigimaagan na age-mate
wiijigimaagan na age-mate

wiijigindiwag vai they are the same age

wiiji' vta
  1. help h/
  2. play with h/ (a companion in play)

(reciprocal) wiiji'idiwag vai [BL] [BR] [C] they help each other (detransitive) wiiji'iwe vai s/he accompanies (people); s/he goes along with (people), goes with (people) waawiiji' vta keep helping h/; help each of them
(reciprocal) waawiiji'idiwag vai they keep helping each other
wiiji'idiwag vai [BL] [BR] [C] they help each other

wiiji'idiwin ni mutual help or assistance, helping others

wiiji'igoowizi vai s/he is helped, is helped by a high power

wiiji'iwe vai s/he accompanies (people); s/he goes along with (people), goes with (people)

wiijikiwenyan nad his brother

wiijishimotaw vta dance with h/

(reciprocal) wiijishimotaadiwag vai they dance (with each other)
wiijishimotaadiwag vai they dance (with each other)

wiijitwaa vai [BL] s/he helps out, assists

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.