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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

zaginikeshkoozo vai s/he is trapped by the forepaw

zagininjiibizh vta grab and hold h/ by the hand

zagininjiin vta shake hands with h/

(reciprocal) zagininjiinidiwag vai they shake hands with each other (detransitive) zagininjiiniwe vai s/he shakes hands with people
zagininjiinidiwag vai they shake hands with each other

zagininjiiniwe vai s/he shakes hands with people

zagitawagebizh vta grab and hold h/ by the ear

zagizidebizh vta grab and hold h/ by the foot

zagizidebizo vai s/he snags h/ foot

zagiziden vta hold, grab h/ by the foot

zagizideshkoozo vai it (animate) is trapped by its hind paw or foot

zagizhigwanen vta hold it (animate) by the fishtail

zagiigin vta hold on to h/ clothes

zagiiginan vti hold onto it (sheet-like)

zagwakidewan vii they (inanimate) stand or are set up tightly-spaced

zagwakizowag vai

zagwasab na a net with a fine mesh

zagwashkime vai s/he laces snowshoes with tightly-spaced lacing

zagwaabide vai s/he has tightly spaced teeth, has no missing teeth

zagwaabide-binaakwaan ni

zaka' vta light h/ (e.g., a pipe); set h/ on fire

Paired with: zaka'an vti

zaka'amaw vta light (it) for h/; set (it) on fire for h/

zaka'an vti light, ignite it, set it on fire

Paired with: zaka' vta

(detransitive) zaka'ige vai s/he lights something (benefactive) zaka'amaw vta set (it) on fire for h/; light (it) for h/ (verb of undergoing) zaka'igaade vii it is set on fire, lit (by someone), "they" set it on fire, light it (verb of undergoing) zaka'igaazo vai it (animate) is set on fire, lit (by someone), "they" set it (animate) on fire, light it (animate) (derived noun) zaka'igan ni a lighter
zaka'igan ni a lighter

zaka'igaade vii it is set on fire, lit (by someone), "they" set it on fire, light it

zaka'igaazo vai it (animate) is set on fire, lit (by someone), "they" set it (animate) on fire, light it (animate)

zaka'ige vai s/he lights something

zaka'ipwaagane vai s/he lights a pipe

zaka'o vai s/he uses a cane

(derived noun) zaka'on ni a cane
zaka'on ni a cane

zakaabiigisin vii it is plugged in, is connected to power

Paired with: zakaabiigishin vai

zakaabiigishin vai it (animate) is plugged in, is connected to power

Paired with: zakaabiigisin vii

zakaasan vti shine light at it

(derived noun) zakaasigan ni a flashlight
zakaasigan ni a flashlight

zakaate vii it reflects light, is lit by sunlight

zakide vii it catches fire; it is on fire; there is a forest fire

Paired with: zakizo vai

zakisidoon vti2 light, ignite it, set it on fire

zakiz vta light, ignite h/, set h/ on fire

Paired with: zakizan vti

zakizan vti light, ignite it, set it on fire

Paired with: zakiz vta

(detransitive) zakizige vai s/he lights, ignites things, sets things on fire
zakizige vai s/he lights, ignites things, sets things on fire

zakizo vai s/he or it (animate) catches fire; s/he has a fire at h/ place

Paired with: zakide vii

zakizwi vta [NI]

► zakiz vta

zanagad vii it is difficult, hard (to do or manage)

Paired with: zanagizi vai

zanagamon vii it is a hard road (to travel), is a difficult road

zanaganaamo vai s/he breathes with difficulty, has respiratory problems

zanagaanimad vii it is a wild, unsteady wind

zanagendam vai2 s/he thinks things difficult, thinks things hard

zanagendan vti think it difficult, think it hard

Paired with: zanagenim vta

zanagendaagwad vii it is considered difficult, is considered challenging

zanagenim vta think h/ difficult, think h/ hard

Paired with: zanagendan vti

zanagibide vii it runs or operates with difficulty

Paired with: zanagibizo vai

zanagibizo vai it (animate) has a difficult ride, runs or operates with difficulty

Paired with: zanagibide vii

zanagi' vta make it difficult, hard for h/

(detransitive) zanagi'iwe vai s/he makes (people) do something difficult, gives people a hard time, makes trouble for people (reciprocal) zanagi'idiwag vai they make each other do something difficult; they make things difficult, hard for each other, give each other a hard time (reflexive) zanagi'idizo vai s/he makes h/ self do something difficult; s/he makes things difficult, hard for h/ self, gives h/ self a hard time
zanagi'idiwag vai they make each other do something difficult; they make things difficult, hard for each other, give each other a hard time

zanagi'idizo vai s/he makes things difficult, hard for h/ self, gives h/ self a hard time; s/he makes h/ self do something difficult

zanagi'iwe vai s/he makes (people) do something difficult, gives people a hard time, makes trouble for people

zanaginaagozi vai it (animate) looks hard (to make)

Paired with: zanaginaagwad vii

zanaginaagwad vii it looks hard (to make), looks difficult

Paired with: zanaginaagozi vai

zanagiz na someone difficult

zanagizi vai s/he or it (animate) is difficult, hard to manage

Paired with: zanagad vii

(verb of pretending) zanagiziikaazo vai s/he pretends to be hard to get along with
zanagiziikaazo vai s/he pretends to be hard to get along with

zasakwaa vii there is a heavy frost

zaswebidoon vti2 scatter it (with hands)

Paired with: zaswebizh vta

zaswebizh vta scatter h/ (with hands)

Paired with: zaswebidoon vti2

zaswebiiga'andaw vta splash h/

zaswe'an vti scatter it (using something)

zaswenan vti spread it [by/with hand]

zasweshkan vti scatter it (with foot or body)

Paired with: zasweshkaw vta

zasweshkaw vta scatter h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: zasweshkan vti

zaswewebin vta [S] scatter it (animate) (by hand)

Paired with: zaswewebinan vti [S] See also: ziswewebin vta

zaswewebinan vti [S] scatter it (by hand)

Paired with: zaswewebin vta [S] See also: ziswewebinan vti [BL]

zazagaa vii there is dense underbrush

zazaagiwine vai h/ horns or antlers emerge, grow out

zazaagiz na a miser, someone who is stingy

zazaagizi vai s/he is stingy

zazegaa adv man dressed up

zazegaa- pv lex good-looking; elegant; fine

zazegaa-ikwe na a fine woman, a lady; a woman who is well-dressed, good-looking, well-mannered

(verb of being) zazegaa-ikwewi vai she is a fine woman, is a gentlewoman
zazegaa-ikwewi vai she is a fine woman, is a gentlewoman

zazegaa-inini na a gentleman; a man who is good-looking, well-dressed, well-mannered

(verb of being) zazegaa-ininiiwi vai he is a gentleman
zazegaa-ininiiwi vai he is a gentleman

zazegaa-wiisiniwin ni nice food, special food

zazegaa' vta dress h/ up after a year's mourning; dress h/ up well

zazegaa'o vai s/he dresses up

zazegaashkime vai s/he decorates the snowshoe lacing

zazegaatoon vti2 make it nice, build it well; make it beautiful

Paired with: zazegaa' vta

zaziikizi vai s/he is the eldest (of siblings)

zaziiko vai s/he spits

zaabendanzii vai2 s/he isn't interested, doesn't like something

zaabowesii vai s/he isn't able to be heard well speaking

zaagadaawangisin vii it lies sticking out of the sand or ashes

zaagagwinde vii it sticks out of the water

zaaga'am vai2
  1. s/he goes out, exits
  2. s/he goes to the toilet

zaaga'amoowigamig ni a toilet, a bathroom, an outhouse, a privy

See also: miiziiwigamig ni

zaaga'igan ni a lake

zaaga'iganii-manoomin ni lake rice: wild rice from a lake

zaaga'iganiiwaabo ni [BL] lake water

zaagajiwe vai s/he comes out over a hill

zaagakii vai it (animate; a plant) sprouts, comes up, grows out (of the ground)

Paired with: zaagakii vii

zaagakii vii it (a plant) sprouts, comes up, grows out (of the ground)

Paired with: zaagakii vai

zaaganakibii vai the top of the tree sticks out above the water

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.