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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

zhigweyaabandan vti aim at it

Paired with: zhigweyaabam vta

zhigweyaabi vai s/he aims sights

zhimaagan ni a spear, a lance

(verb of making) zhimaaganike vai s/he makes a spear or lance (verb of possession) ozhimaagani vai s/he has a lance, spear
zhimaaganike vai s/he makes a spear or lance

zhimaaganish na
  1. a soldier
  2. a jack (card)

(verb of being) zhimaaganishiiwi vai s/he is a soldier
zhimaaganishii-aakoziiwigamig ni a veteran's hospital

zhimaaganishii-ogimaa na a military officer

zhimaaganishiiwi vai s/he is a soldier

zhimaaganishiiwigamig ni a veteran's home

zhinawa'oojigan ni a small round bell, a dance bell, a sleigh bell

zhinawaabikise vii it jingles, rattles

zhinawise vai s/he rattles

Paired with: zhinawise vii

zhinawise vii it rattles

Paired with: zhinawise vai

zhinawisidamaw vta rattle, jingle, ring (something) for h/

zhinawisidoon vti2 rattle, jingle, ring it (by dropping or hitting)

Paired with: zhinawishim vta

(benefactive) zhinawisidamaw vta rattle, jingle, ring (something) for h/ zhinawisijigan ni [BL] a rattle
zhinawisijigan ni [BL] a rattle

zhinawisin vii it rattles, rings

Paired with: zhinawishin vai

zhinawishim vta rattle, jingle, ring it (animate) (by dropping or hitting)

Paired with: zhinawisidoon vti2

zhinawishin vai s/he rattles, rings

Paired with: zhinawisin vii

zhingaden vta spread h/ out

Paired with: zhingadenan vti

zhingadenan vti spread it out (forcefully by hand)

Paired with: zhingaden vta

zhingadesidoon vti2 lay it spread out

Paired with: zhingadeshim vta

zhingadesin vii it lies spread out

Paired with: zhingadeshin vai

zhingadeshim vta lay h/ spread out

Paired with: zhingadesidoon vti2

zhingadeshin vai s/he lies spread out

Paired with: zhingadesin 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.