Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

waawiindan vti explain it, keep telling about it

Paired with: waawiinzh vta

(benefactive) waawiindamaw vta tell h/ about (it), explain (it) to h/, promise (it) to him
(detransitive) waawiindamaage vai s/he explains, promises (something) to people
(derived noun) waawiindamaagewin ni an explanation, a promise
(verb of undergoing) waawiinjigaade vii it is talked about repreatedly, "they" keep talking about it; it is explained (by someone), "they" explain it (verb of undergoing) waawiinjigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is talked about repeatedly, "they" keep talking about h/ or it (animate)
waawiinjigaade vii it is talked about repreatedly, "they" keep talking about it; it is explained (by someone), "they" explain it

waawiinjigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is talked about repeatedly, "they" keep talking about h/ or it (animate)

waawiinzh vta name, mention h/

Paired with: waawiindan vti

waawiisagishkaw vta keep hurting h/ (by bumping or kicking)

waawiizhaandiwag vai they invite each other; they ask each other to dance

waawiizhaandiwin ni a dance where people are invited to dance by others with a gift

waawoono vai s/he howls (e.g., a dog, a wolf)

waazh ni a den, a lair, a cave, a burrow, a tunnel entrance to a beaver lodge

See also: waanzh ni

waazakone vii it glows, gives off light

waazakonebidamaw vta turn on a light for h/, shine a light for h/

waazakonebidoon vti2 turn it on for a light

(benefactive) waazakonebidamaw vta turn on a light for h/, shine a light for h/ (derived noun) waazakonebijigan ni a flashlight
waazakonebijigan ni a flashlight

waazakonendamaw vta shine a light for h/

waazakonenjigan ni a lamp, a light

waazakonenjiganaaboo ni kerosene, diesel fuel

waazakonenjiganaaboo-adaawewigamig ni a gas station

waazakonenjiganaaboowadaawewigamig ni a gas station

waazakonenjiganaaboowakik na a gas tank, a gas can, a jerry can

waazakonenjiganaatig ni a light pole

waazakonenjigani-bimide ni kerosene

waazakonenjige vai s/he shines a light

waazakoneyaagonagaa vii

waazhaabaan ni cut-out lacing

waazhaabii vai s/he cuts out lacing

(derived noun) waazhaabaan ni cut-out lacing
waazhwi vta cut h/ into strips, filet h/

weba' vta shove h/ away (using something)

Paired with: weba'an vti

weba'an vti shove it away (using something)

Paired with: weba' vta

(detransitive) weba'ige vai s/he shoves things away (using something) (verb of undergoing) weba'igaade vii it is shoved away (by somebody) (using something), "they" shove it away (using something) (verb of undergoing) weba'igaazo vai s/he is shoved away (by somebody) (using something), "they" shove h/ away (using something)
weba'aagonaan ni something to remove snow with: a snow shovel, a snow blower

weba'aagone vai s/he removes snow: shovels snow, plows snow, blows snow

weba'aagonebide vii it removes snow (as a machine)

Paired with: weba'aagonebizo vai

weba'aagonebizo vai s/he plows snow, blows snow

Paired with: weba'aagonebide vii

weba'aagonebizon ni

weba'aagonetamaw vta remove snow for h/; shovel h/ out

weba'igaade vii it is shoved away (by somebody) (using something), "they" shove it away (using something)

weba'igaazo vai s/he is shoved away (by somebody) (using something), "they" shove h/ away (using something)

weba'ige vai s/he shoves things away (using something)

webaabaso vai s/he runs from the smoke

webaabiigin vta swing h/ with a line (as a baby in a cradle swing); swing h/ (on a swing)

webaabiiginan vti swing it with string

Paired with: webaabiigin vta

webaa'ago vai s/he drifts out, drifts away on the waves

Paired with: webaa'an vii See also: webaa'ogo vai

webaa'an vii it drifts out, drifts away on the waves

Paired with: webaa'ago vai ; webaa'ogo vai

webaa'ogo vai s/he drifts out, drifts away on the waves

Paired with: webaa'an vii

webaasidoon vti2 [S] fan it, let it blow away

See also: webaasindoon vti2 [N]

webaasin vii it is blown away (by the wind)

Paired with: webaashi vai

webaasindoon vti2 [N] fan it, let it blow away

Paired with: webaashim vta See also: webaasidoon vti2 [S]

(detransitive) webaasinjige vai [N] s/he fans (things) away, lets (things) blow away
webaasinjigan ni

webaasinjige vai [N] s/he fans (things) away, lets (things) blow away

webaashi vai s/he is blown away (by the wind)

Paired with: webaasin vii

webaashim vta fan h/, let h/ blow away

Paired with: webaasidoon vti2 [S] ; webaasindoon vti2 [N]

webikodan vti cut it off or out with knife

Paired with: webikozh vta

webikozh vta cut h/ off or out with knife

Paired with: webikodan vti

webin vta
  1. throw h/ away
  2. separate from, divorce h/

Paired with: webinan vti

(reciprocal) webinidiwag vai they are separated from each other, separate from each other (detransitive) webiniwe vai s/he divorces someone, separates from someone (a spouse or partner)
webiniwewin ni divorce
webinamaw vta throw (it) away to or for h/

webinan vti throw it away

Paired with: webin vta

(detransitive) webinige vai s/he throws things away (benefactive) webinamaw vta throw (it) away to or for h/ (verb of undergoing) webinigaade vii it is thrown away (by someone), "they" throw it away (verb of undergoing) webinigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is thrown away (by someone), "they" throw h/ or it (animate) away (derived noun) webinigan ni something thrown away, discarded (derived noun) webinigan na someone abandoned
webinaawaso vai s/he abandons h/ child

webinidiwag vai they are separated from each other, separate from each other

webinigan na someone abandoned

See also: webinigan ni

webinigan ni something thrown away, discarded

See also: webinigan na

webinigaade vii it is thrown away (by someone), "they" throw it away

webinigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is thrown away (by someone), "they" throw h/ or it (animate) away

webinige vai s/he throws things away

webiniwe vai s/he divorces someone, separates from someone (a spouse or partner)

webiniwewin ni divorce

webizh vta cut it (animate) out or off, trim it (animate) (by cutting)

Paired with: webizhan vti See also: webizhwi vta [NI]

webizhan vti cut it out or off, trim it (by cutting)

Paired with: webizh vta

(detransitive) webizhige vai s/he cuts (things) out or off, trims (things) (by cutting) (verb of undergoing) webizhigaade vii it is cut out or off, trimmed (by someone), "they" cut it out or off, trim it (by cutting) (verb of undergoing) webizhigaazo vai it (animate) is cut out or off, trimmed (by someone), "they" cut it (animate) out or off, trim it (animate) (by cutting)
webizhigaade vii it is cut out or off, trimmed (by someone), "they" cut it out or off, trim it (by cutting)

webizhigaazo vai it (animate) is cut out or off, trimmed (by someone), "they" cut it (animate) out or off, trim it (animate) (by cutting)

webizhige vai s/he cuts (things) out or off, trims (things) (by cutting)

webizhwi vta [NI] cut it (animate) out or off, trim it (animate) (by cutting)

Paired with: webizhan vti See also: webizh vta

wegimaawabid na-v a councillor, a council member, a representative; a government official

wegodogwen pron dub I don't know what, I wonder what

See also: awegodogwen pron dub

wegodogwen igo pron dub whatever

wegonen pron inter what

See also: awegonen pron inter

wegonen (+ -onji-) pron inter why?

wegonesh pron inter and what; what

wegwaagi adv man behold! lo and behold!

See also: awegwaagi adv man

we'we na a snow goose

[
Anser caerulescens
]

we'wewi-bimide ni snow goose grease

wekwaa- pv man at the end of

wekwaa-ziibi adv loc at end of river

wekwaabatoo vai s/he runs to the end

wekwaagam adv loc [N] at the bay, at the end of the lake

wekwaagam ni a bay, the end of a lake

wekwaa'adoo vai s/he walks to the end of a road or trail

wekwaa'adoon vti2 walk to the end of it (road or trail)

Paired with: wekwaa'azh vta

wekwaa'azh vta follow h/ trail to the end

Paired with: wekwaa'adoon vti2

wekwaakawe vai [BL] h/ tracks end, trail ends

wekwaamon vii it (road or trail) ends

wekwaanaamo vai s/he is out of breath; takes h/ last breath

wekwaasag adv loc in the corner

wekwaashkan vti [N] go, come to the end of it

Paired with: wekwaashkaw vta See also: wayekwaashkan vti [S]

wekwaashkaw vta go, come to the end of h/

Paired with: wekwaashkan vti [N] See also: wayekwaashkaw vta [S]

wekwaashkaa vai [N] s/he goes, comes to the end

Paired with: wekwaashkaa vii [N] See also: wayekwaashkaa vai [S]

wekwaashkaa vii [N] it goes, comes to the end

Paired with: wekwaashkaa vai [N] See also: wayekwaashkaa vii [S]

wekwaashkiig adv loc at the end of a muskeg

wekwaawajiwe vai s/he climbs to the end of the hill

wekwaayaajimo vai s/he comes to the end of a story

wekwaayaakwaa vii it is the end of the woods, end of the bush

wekwegam ni

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.