Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

wiinishkiinzhigwe vai s/he has dirty eyes

wiinishtigwaane vai s/he has dirty hair, h/ hair is dirty

See also: wiinitigwaane vai [BL]

wiinitam pron per his turn, her turn; her next, him next

wiinitamaw vta make (it) dirty for h/

wiinitamawaa pron per their turn, them next

wiinitawage vai s/he has a dirty ear or dirty ears

wiinitigwaane vai [BL] s/he has dirty hair, h/ hair is dirty

See also: wiinishtigwaane vai

wiinitoon vti2 make it dirty

Paired with: wiini' vta

(verb of undergoing) wiinichigaade vii it is made dirty ( by someone), "they" make it dirty (verb of undergoing) wiinichigaazo vai s/he is made dirty (by someone), "they" make it dirty (detransitive) wiinichige vai s/he makes things dirty (benefactive) wiinitamaw vta make (it) dirty for h/
wiinitwaa vai s/he is dirty, keeps a dirty house

wiinizi vai s/he or it (animate) is dirty

Paired with: wiinad vii

wiinizide vai s/he has a dirty foot or dirty feet

wiinizik na a yellow birch

[
yellow birch
; 
Betula alleghaniensis
]

wiinizis nid h/ (strand of) hair

See also: owiinizis nid

wiinizisimaan ni [BL] a hair of the head

wiinizisimaani-zagaakwa'igan ni a hair pin

wiinizisii-bengwaasijigan ni a hair dryer

wiiniigad vii it (sheet-like) is dirty

Paired with: wiiniigizi vai

wiiniigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is dirty

Paired with: wiiniigad vii

wiiniingwe vai s/he has a dirty face

wiinjiiganaamo vai s/he has stinky breath, has bad breath

wiinjiigimaagozi vai s/he or it (animate) smells filthy, smells shitty

Paired with: wiinjiigimaagwad vii

wiinjiigimaagwad vii it smells filthy, smells shitty

Paired with: wiinjiigimaagozi vai

wiinjiigimaate vii it has a shitty aroma (cooking or burning)

wiinjiigizi vai s/he smells like s/he shit

wiinzh vta give h/ a name; say h/ name, mention h/; name h/

Paired with: wiindan vti

(reflexive) wiinidizo vai s/he names h/ self, says h/ own name
wiinzhinaa na a castor sac of beaver or muskrat

wiinzo vai s/he has a name, is named

Paired with: wiinde vii

(derived noun) wiinzowin ni a personal or family name
wiinzowin ni a personal or family name

wiipem vta sleep with h/

Paired with: wiipendan vti

(reciprocal) wiipendiwag vai they sleep with each other (derived noun) wiipemaagan na a sleeping partner
wiipemaagan na a sleeping partner

wiipemaawaso vai s/he sleeps with children protectively

wiipendan vti sleep with it

Paired with: wiipem vta

wiipendiwag vai they sleep with each other

wiis ni tripe: edible stomach lining of a ruminant

wiisagad ni [RL] pepper

wiisagaganaam vta hurt h/ by hitting

wiisagam vta hurt h/ by biting

wiisagan vii it is bitter

Paired with: wiisagizi vai

wiisaganaamozo vai s/he suffers from smoke inhalation

wiisagaabaso vai h/ eyes hurt from the smoke

wiisagaabate vii there is irritating smoke

wiisagaagamin vii it (a liquid) is bitter

wiisagaakizo vai s/he hurts from being burnt

wiisagaapinazh vta injure h/; hurt h/

wiisagaapine vai s/he hurts, suffers physically, suffer from an illness

(applicative) wiisagaapinazh vta hurt h/; injure h/
wiisagendam vai2 s/he suffers pain, is in pain, hurts

wiisagendami' vta cause h/ pain, make h/ hurt

wiisagendamowin ni pain

wiisagi- pv lex bitter

wiisagi-jiisens ni a radish

wiisagi-mitigominzh na red oak

[
northern red oak
; 
Quercus rubra
]

wiisagibizh vta hurt h/ with the hands (by manipulating, pulling, pinching, etc.)

wiisagidenaniwe vai h/ tongue hurts

wiisagidiye vai h/ rear hurts

wiisagidiyeshin vai s/he hurts h/ butt in a fall

wiisagidooskwane vai h/ elbow hurts / h/ elbows hurt

wiisagidooskwaneshin vai s/he hurts h/ elbow or elbows on something or in a fall

wiisagigaadeshin vai s/he hurts h/ leg or legs on something or by falling

wiisagigidigweshin vai s/he hurts his knee or knees on something or by falling

wiisagigonewe vai s/he has a sore throat, h/ throat hurts

wiisagijiibikoons ni a radish

wiisagimaagozi vai it (animate) smells bitter, smells spicy

Paired with: wiisagimaagwad vii

wiisagimaagwad vii it smells bitter, smells spicy

Paired with: wiisagimaagozi vai

wiisagimaaso vai it (animate) has a bitter aroma, smells bitter burning or cooking

Paired with: wiisagimaate vii

wiisagimaate vii it has a bitter aroma, smells bitter (burning or cooking)

Paired with: wiisagimaaso vai

wiisagindibeshin vai s/he hurts h/ head falling or hitting against something

wiisagine vai s/he hurts, is in pain from an illness

wiisaginikeshin vai s/he hurts h/ arm or arms on something or by falling

wiisagininjii vai h/ hand hurts or hands hurt

wiisagininjiishin vai s/he hurts h/ hand or hands on something or by falling

wiisagip vta find h/ tastes biiter, tastes spicy

Paired with: wiisagipidan vti

wiisagipidan vti find it tastes bitter, tastes spicy

See also: wiisagip vta

wiisagipogozi vai it (animate) tastes bitter, tastes spicy

Paired with: wiisagipogwad vii

wiisagipogwad vii it tastes bitter, tastes spicy

Paired with: wiisagipogozi vai

wiisagishin vai s/he gets hurt (on something), gets hurt falling

wiisagishkaw vta hurt h/ (by bumping or kicking)

(reciprocal) wiisagishkodaadiwag vai they hurt each other (by bumping)
wiisagishkodaadiwag vai they hurt each other (by bumping)

wiisagishkoozh vta hurt h/ by crushing with weight

wiisagishkoozo vai s/he hurts from crushing weight

wiisagishtigwaaneshin vai [S] s/he hurts h/ head falling or hitting against something

See also: wiisagitigwaaneshin vai [BL]

wiisagitaagozi vai s/he is shrill, screeches, squeals

wiisagitigwaaneshin vai [BL] s/he hurts h/ head falling or hitting against something

See also: wiisagishtigwaaneshin vai [S]

wiisagizi vai it (animate) is bitter (to the taste)

Paired with: wiisagan vii

wiisagizideshin vai s/he hurts h/ foot or feet on something or by falling

wiisakwe vai s/he has a high, shrill voice

wiisaakodewikwe na a Metis woman; a Native woman of mixed ancestry

See also: wiisaakodewinini na

wiisaakodewinini na a Metis (especially male); a Native person of mixed ancestry

See also: wiisaakodewikwe na

wiisini vai s/he eats

(derived noun) wiisiniwin ni food
(verb of making) wiisiniwinike vai s/he prepares food
wiisiniwin ni food

wiisiniwin-adaawewigamig ni a grocery store

See also: wiisinii-adaawewigamig ni

wiisiniwinike vai s/he prepares food

wiisinii-adaawewigamig ni a grocery store

See also: wiisiniwin-adaawewigamig ni

wiisiniiwi-mitigoons ni a chopstick

wiisiniiwigamig ni a restaurant, a cafe; a dining room

wiisiniiwikomaan ni a table knife

wiisookaw vta associate with, be frequently with, be friendly with h/

(reciprocal) wiisookodaadiwag vai they associate with each other, are with each other frequently, are friendly with each other
wiisookodaadiwag vai they associate with each other, are with each other frequently, are friendly with each other

wiish ni [BL] lodge of an animal

wiishaagomaagozi vai s/he has body odor

Paired with: wiishaagomaagwad vii

wiishaagomaagwad vii it smells of body odor

Paired with: wiishaagomaagozi vai

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.

  • Audio recordings
  • Images
  • Video
  • Documents

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.