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zinigogaaden vta rub h/ on h/ leg, rub h/ leg

zinigojaanenidizo vai s/he rubs h/ (own) nose

zinigojiibizh vta massage h/; rub h/ belly

(detransitive) zinigojiibizhiwe vai s/he massages people
zinigojiibizhiwe vai s/he massages people

zinigojiibizhiwewikwe na a masseuse

zinigojiibizhiwewinini na a masseur

zinigon vta rub h/ or it (animate) with something

Paired with: zinigonan vti

(reciprocal) zinigonidiwag vai they rub each other with something (reflexive) zinigonidizo vai s/he rubs h/ self with something
zinigonamaw vta rub (it) with something for h/

zinigonan vti rub it with something

Paired with: zinigon vta

(benefactive) zinigonamaw vta rub (it) with something for h/ (detransitive) zinigonige vai s/he rubs (things) with something (verb of undergoing) zinigonigaade vii it is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub it with something (verb of undergoing) zinigonigaazo vai s/he is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub h/ with something
zinigonidiwag vai they rub each other with something

zinigonidizo vai s/he rubs h/ self with something

zinigonigaade vii it is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub it with something

zinigonigaazo vai s/he is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub h/ with something

zinigonige vai s/he rubs (things) with something

zinigoninjiin vta massage h/ hand; rub h/ hand

zinigoshkan vti rub it (with foot or body)

Paired with: zinigoshkaw vta

zinigoshkaw vta rub h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: zinigoshkan vti

zinigozidebizh vta massage h/ foot

zinigwazhe'o vai s/he rubs something on h/ skin

zinigwazhen vta [BR] rub h/ skin

zinigwenim vta worry about h/; think about h/ all the time

zinigwiingwen vta rub h/ face (with something)

zipobidoon vti2 close it up by pulling; zip it up

Paired with: zipobidoon vti2

zipobijigan ni a zipper

zipobizh vta close h/ up by pulling; zip h/ up

Paired with: zipobidoon vti2

zipogwaadan vti sew it up (so a gap or rip is closed)

Paired with: zipogwaazh vta

zipogwaaso vai s/he sews up a gap or rip so it is closed

zipogwaazh vta sew it (animate) up (so a gap or rip is closed)

Paired with: zipogwaadan vti

zipwaangeni vai s/he closes h/ wings

zipwegishkaa vii it (sheet-like) closes up, comes together

zisiboode vii it is filed, ground down

Paired with: zisiboozo vai

zisiboodoon vti2 file, grind it down; sharpen it (an ax)

Paired with: zisiboozh vta

(detransitive) zisiboojige vai s/he files, grinds things down (derived noun) zisiboojigan ni a file, a rasp
zisiboojigan ni a file, a rasp

zisiboojige vai s/he files, grinds things down

zisiboozh vta file, grind h/ down

Paired with: zisiboodoon vti2

zisiboozo vai s/he is filed, ground down

Paired with: zisiboode vii

ziswam vta spray water on h/ from the mouth

Paired with: ziswandan vti

ziswandan vti spray water on it from the mouth

Paired with: ziswam vta

(detransitive) ziswanjige vai s/he sprays water (on something) from the mouth (derived noun) ziswanjigan ni something that sprays: a garden hose
ziswanjigan ni something that sprays: a garden hose

ziswanjige vai s/he sprays water (on something) from the mouth

ziswe'an vti [BL] scatter it (using something)

See also: zaswe'an vti

(reciprocal) ziswe'idiwag vai they (animate) scatter, disperse
ziswe'idiwag vai they (animate) scatter, disperse

ziswewebin vta scatter it (animate) (by hand)

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

ziswewebinan vti [BL] scatter it (by hand)

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

ziibaaska'igan ni a jingle (on dress)

ziibaaska'iganagooday ni a jingle dress

ziibaaskobijige vai s/he sets a net under the ice

ziibi ni a river

(verb of abundance) ziibiikaa vii there are (many) rivers
ziibiskanaamo* vai

(derived noun) ziibiskanaamowin ni phlegm, mucus
ziibiskanaamowin ni phlegm, mucus

ziibiskaaj adv man not in a hurry, leisurely, reluctantly, unwillingly. cautiously

ziibii-gookoosh na a hippopotamus

ziibii-manoomin ni river rice: wild rice from a river

ziibiikaa vii there are (many) rivers

ziibiins ni a stream, a creek, a brook

ziibiinsiwakamigaa vii it is a dry stream bed

See also: ziibiiwishenyiwakamigaa ni

ziibiiwaabo ni river water

ziibiiwishenh ni [S] a small stream, creek, or brook

See also: ziibiins ni

ziibiiwishenyiwakamigaa ni it is a dry stream bed

See also: ziibiinsiwakamigaa vii

ziidawaakogwayawe vai [BL] s/he has a stiff neck

ziidawaawigane vai [BL] s/he has a stiff back

ziidawaawiganeshin vai s/he falls and gets a stiff back

ziidonan vti support it (with hand); hold it up (to support it); hang on to it (to support it)

ziidwapidoon vti2 support, brace it (by tying)

ziidwaakwa'an vti brace it with a stick, prop it up with a stick

Paired with: ziidwaakwa'wi vta

ziidwaakwa'wi vta brace it with a stick, prop it up with a stick; brace h/ or it (animate) with a stick, prop h/ or it (animate) up with a stick

Paired with: ziidwaakwa'an vti

ziidwaawigane'o vai

ziidwaawiganepizo vai s/he wears a back brace

ziiga'amaw vta pour (it) for h/

ziiga'an vti pour or scoop it out (using something)

(detransitive) ziiga'ige vai s/he pours things out (using something), scoops or ladles it out; s/he casts sugar cones (verb of undergoing) ziiga'igaade vii it is poured out (by somone) (using something), "they" pour it out (using something) (derived noun) ziiga'igan ni a sugar cake, a sugar cone,
(verb of making) ziiga'iganike vai s/he makes a sugar cone
(benefactive) ziiga'amaw vta pour (it) for h/
ziiga'andan vti pour liquid on it; water it; splash it

Paired with: ziiga'andaw vta

ziiga'andaw vta
  1. pour liquid on h/; splash h/
  2. baptize h/

Paired with: ziiga'andan vti

ziiga'igan ni a sugar cake, a sugar cone,

ziiga'iganike vai s/he makes a sugar cone

ziiga'igaade vii it is poured out (by somone) (using something), "they" pour it out (using something)

ziiga'ige vai s/he casts sugar cones; s/he pours things out (using something), scoops or ladles it out

ziiga'iminaadan vti pour hot liquid (soup, water) into it (rice) and let it sit to cook

ziiga'ogo vai s/he gets water splashing in h/ boat

ziigana' vta spoon feed h/ a liquid

ziigashkinadoon vti2 fill it to overflowing (with solids)

Paired with: ziigashkina' vta

ziigashkina' vta fill h/ to overflowing (with solids)

Paired with: ziigashkinadoon vti2

ziigaagamishkan vti get in and make the water in it spill over

ziigaagamishkaa vai s/he gets in and makes the water spill over

ziigaajiwande vii it boils over

Paired with: ziigaajiwanzo vai

ziigaajiwanz vta let h/ boil over

Paired with: ziigaajiwanzan vti

ziigaajiwanzan vti let it boil over

Paired with: ziigaajiwanz vta

ziigaajiwanzo vai it (animate) boils over (e.g., a ketle)

Paired with: ziigaajiwande vii

ziigaajiwanzwi vta [NI]

► ziigaajiwanz vta

ziigaasin vii it spills out or overflows blown by the wind

Paired with: ziigaashi vai

ziigaashi vai it (animate) spills out or overflows blown by the wind

Paired with: ziigaasin vii

ziigaawangise vai it (animate; powder) spills out

Paired with: ziigaawangise vii

ziigaawangise vii it (powder) spills out

Paired with: ziigaawangise vai

ziigibadoon vti2 fill it to overflowing (with liquid)

Paired with: ziigibazh vta

ziigibazh vta fill h/ to overflowing (with liquid)

ziigibide vii it pours out quick, spills over

Paired with: ziigibizo vai

ziigibizo vai it (animate) pours out quick, spills over

Paired with: ziigibide vii

ziigibiise vii it overflows; it (a container) spills, spills out

Paired with: ziigibiise vai

ziigibiise vai s/he overflows; s/he (a container) spills, spills out

Paired with: ziigibiise vii

ziigigamide vii it boils over

Paired with: ziigigamizo vai

ziigigamizo vai it (animate) boils over (e.g., a ketle)

Paired with: ziigigamide vii

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.