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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

ziigwan vii it is spring

ziigwanendaagwad vii it feels like spring

ziigwanishi vai s/he spends the spring somewhere

ziigwanong adv tmp last spring

ziigwebin vta spill h/, pour h/ out, dump h/ out

Paired with: ziigwebinan vti

ziigwebinakik na [BL] a slop pail; a garbage pail

ziigwebinan vti spill it, pour it out, dump it out

(detransitive) ziigwebinige vai s/he spills things, pours things out, dumps things out (verb of undergoing) ziigwebinigaade vii it is spilled, poured out, dumped out (by someone), "they" spill it, pour it out, dump it out (verb of undergoing) ziigwebinigaazo vai it (animate) is spilled, poured out, dumped out, "they" spill it, pour it out, dump it out (derived noun) ziigwebinigan ni something dumped out: slop, garbage, trash; a dump
ziigwebinigan ni a dump; something dumped out: slop, garbage, trash

ziigwebinigaade vii it is spilled, poured out, dumped out (by someone), "they" spill it, pour it out, dump it out

ziigwebinigaazo vai it (animate) is spilled, poured out, dumped out, "they" spill it, pour it out, dump it out

ziigwebinige vai s/he spills things, pours things out, dumps things out

ziigwebinigewakik na a slop pail

ziigwebinigewidaabaan na a garbage truck

ziigwebinigewinini na a garbageman

ziikawaabi vai h/ eyes water, seep, tear up

ziikawidoon vai [S] s/he drools

See also: ziikawidoone vai [N]

ziikawidoone vai [N] s/he drools

See also: ziikawidoon vai [S]

ziikaa na a car, an automobile

ziikaabi vai s/he has a discharge from h/ eye or eyes; h/ eyes are runny

ziikaapidan vti drink it quickly

ziikoobiigam vta suck it (animate) dry

ziikoobiigandan vti drink or suck it dry

ziikoobiigibidoon vti2 strip it dry (with hands)

Paired with: ziikoobiigibizh vta

ziikoobiigibizh vta strip h/ dry (with hands)

Paired with: ziikoobiigibidoon vti2

ziikoobiigin vta drain all of a liquid out of it (animate)

ziikoobiiginamaw vta drain (it) for, wring (it) out for h/; strain (it) for h/

ziikoobiiginan vti strain it; drain all of a liquid out of it it

(derived noun) ziikoobiiginigan ni a strainer (detransitive) ziikoobiiginige vai s/he strains things; s/he drains things, wrings things out (benefactive) ziikoobiiginamaw vta strain (it) for h/; drain (it) for, wring (it) out for h/ (verb of undergoing) ziikoobiiginigaade vii it is strained (by someone), "they" strain it; it is drained, wrung out (by someone), "they" drain it, wring it out (verb of undergoing) ziikoobiiginigaazo vai it (animate) is strained (by someone), "they" strain it (animate); s/he is drained, wrung out (by someone), "they" drain h/, wring h/ out
ziikoobiiginigan ni a strainer

ziikoobiiginigaade vii it is strained (by someone), "they" strain it; it is drained, wrung out (by someone), "they" drain it, wring it out

ziikoobiiginigaazo vai it (animate) is strained (by someone), "they" strain it (animate); s/he is drained, wrung out (by someone), "they" drain h/, wring h/ out

ziikoobiiginige vai s/he strains things; s/he drains things, wrings things out

ziimamanji'o vai s/he feels unwell, doesn't feel too good

ziimaakigwe vai s/he is down with a cold

ziiminaagozi vai s/he looks sickly

ziimingwashi vai s/he is groggy after waking up

ziinaakwa' vta wring h/ out (using something stick-like)

Paired with: ziinaakwa'an vti

ziinaakwa'an vti wring or pump it out (using something stick-like) to get liquid out

Paired with: ziinaakwa' vta

(detransitive) ziinaakwa'ige vii s/he wrings something out (using something stick-like) (verb of undergoing) ziinaakwa'igaade vii it is wrung out (by someone), "they" wring it out (using something stick-like) (verb of undergoing) ziinaakwa'igaazo vai it (animate) is wrung out (by someone), "they" wring it (animate) out (using something stick-like) (derived noun) ziinaakwa'igan ni a clothes wringer; a clothespin
ziinaakwa'igan ni a clothespin; a clothes wringer

ziinaakwa'igaade vii it is wrung out (by someone), "they" wring it out (using something stick-like)

ziinaakwa'igaazo vai it (animate) is wrung out (by someone), "they" wring it (animate) out (using something stick-like)

ziinaakwa'ige vii s/he wrings something out (using something stick-like)

ziinaakwa'wi vta wring or pump it (animate) using something stick-like to get liquid out; squeeze liguid of it (animate) using something

ziindabi vai s/he sits crowded in, squeezed in tight

ziindaa vii it is a tight space

ziindaakosin vii it is wedged in tightly (as something stick- or wood-like)

ziindaakoshin vai s/he is wedged in tightly (as something stick- or wood-like)

ziinginiingwaan ni eye drops

See also: ziiginiingwaan ni

ziinibidoon vti2 press, squeeze, or wring it to get liquid out

Paired with: ziinibizh vta

ziinibijige vai s/he presses, squeezes, or wrings something to get liquid out

ziinibizh vta press, squeeze, or wring it (animate) to get liquid out

Paired with: ziinibidoon vti2

ziinibiigin vta wring h/ out

Paired with: ziinibiiginan vti

ziinibiiginan vti wring it out

Paired with: ziinibiigin vta

ziinikiigomaan na [ML] snot

See also: ziiniskiigomaan na [RL]

ziinikiigome vai [ML] s/he blows h/ (own) nose

See also: ziiniskiigome vai [N]

(derived noun) ziinikiigomaan na [ML] snot
ziinin vta milk h/; strip liquid from h/ (by hand)

Paired with: ziininan vti

ziininiwe vai s/he milks cows
ziininan vti milk it; strip liquid from it (by hand)

Paired with: ziinin vta

ziininiwe vai s/he milks cows

ziiniskiigomaan na [RL] snot

See also: ziinikiigomaan na [ML]

ziiniskiigome vai [N] s/he blows h/ nose

See also: ziinikiigome vai [ML]

(derived noun) ziiniskiigomaan na [RL] snot
ziinjigaabawi vai s/he is in a tight spot; s/he stands crowded in, squeezed in tight

ziinjisidoon vti2 put it in a tight place; wedge it in a tight place

Paired with: ziinjishim vta

ziinjishim vta put h/ in a tight place; wedge h/ in a tight place

Paired with: ziinjisidoon vti2

ziinzibaakwad ni sugar, maple sugar

(verb of making) ziinzibaakwadoke vai s/he makes sugar
ziinzibaakwad-onaagaans ni a sugar bowl

ziinzibaakwadaaboo ni maple sap

See also: ziinzibaakwadwaaboo ni

ziinzibaakwado-makak ni a birch bark basket for maple sugar

ziinzibaakwadoke vai s/he makes sugar

ziinzibaakwadowaapine vai s/he has diabetes

ziinzibaakwadowinaagan ni a sugar bowl

ziinzibaakwadoons ni candy

ziinzibaakwadoons-adaawewigamig ni a candy store

ziinzibaakwadwaabo ni [BL] sap used for making sugar

See also: ziinzibaakwadwaaboo ni

ziinzibaakwadwaaboo ni maple sap

See also: ziinzibaakwadaaboo ni

ziinzibaakwadwaapine vai s/he has diabetes

ziinzibaakwadwaapinewin ni diabetes

ziinzibaakwadwaatig na a maple

ziinzikan vti fit it tight

ziinzoondibepison ni [BL] a scarf or bandanna worn as headband

ziinzoopizh vta tie h/ with bandage

ziinzoopizo vai s/he wears a bandage or dressing

ziinzoopizon ni a bandage

ziiwiskaabi vai [BL] s/he blinks, winks

ziiwiskaabibani'o vai [BL] s/he squints from eating something sour

ziiwiskaabitaw vta [BL] wink at h/

ziiwiskaagamin vii [BL] it (liquid) is sour

ziiwiski- pv lex [BL] sour

ziiwiski-mishiimin na [NI] a lemon

ziiwiskimaagozi vai [BL] s/he or it (animate) smells sour

Paired with: ziiwiskimaagwad vii [BL]

ziiwiskimaagwad vii [BL] it smells sour

Paired with: ziiwiskimaagozi vai [BL]

zoobam vta suck out of h/

zoobandan vti suck out of it

Paired with: zoobam vta

zoogipon vii it snows

zoongabi vai s/he sits firm

zoongan vii it is strong, solid

zoonganaamo vai s/he breathes strong

zoongaabikad vii it (mineral) is strong

Paired with: zoongaabikizi vai

zoongaabikizi vai it (animate; mineral) is strong

Paired with: zoongaabikad vii

zoongaabiigad vii it is strong (as something string-like)

Paired with: zoongaabiigizi vai

zoongaabiigizi vai it (animate; string-like) is strong

Paired with: zoongaabiigad vii

zoongaawigane vai s/he has a strong back

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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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.