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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

zhiibaayaandagaa vii there is a space under the boughs

zhiibaayaanikaadan vti dig an opening or passage under it, tunnel under it

zhiibaayaanike vai s/he digs an opening or passage underneath, tunnels

zhiibaayaasige vai it (animate; the sun) shines under the clouds

zhiibaayaazhogan adv loc under a bridge

zhiibaayoode vai s/he crawls under something, crawls though a passage

zhiibaazigwa'asabii vai s/he sets a net under the ice

zhiibendam vai2 s/he is strong-willed, has strength of mind

zhiibibii vai s/he doesn't get drunk easily

zhiibidenaniweni vai s/he stretches out h/ tongue

zhiibidooneni vai s/he puckers h/ lips

zhiibigaadeni vai s/he stretches h/ leg

zhiibigwebi vai s/he sits craning h/ neck

zhiibigweni vai s/he stretches h/ neck

zhiibinibiketaw vta shake h/ hand, extend your hand (in greeting) to h/

zhiibinikeni vai s/he extends h/ arm out

zhiibininjiini vai s/he reaches out h/ hand

zhiibizi vai it (animate) is tough, is strong

Paired with: zhiiban vii

zhiibii vai s/he stretches (h/ body)

zhiibiiga' vta stretch h/ (using something)

Paired with: zhiibiiga'an vti

zhiibiiga'an vti stretch it (using something)

Paired with: zhiibiiga' vta

zhiibiigibidamaw vta stretch (it) for h/ (by pulling)

zhiibiigibidoon vti2 stretch it (by pulling)

Paired with: zhiibiigibizh vta

(benefactive) zhiibiigibidamaw vta stretch (it) for h/ (by pulling) (detransitive) zhiibiigibijige vai s/he stretches things (by pulling) (verb of undergoing) zhiibiigibijigaade vii it is stretched (by someone) (by pulling), "they" stretch it (by pulling) (verb of undergoing) zhiibiigibijigaazo vai s/he is stretched (by someone) (by pulling), "they" stretch it (by pulling)
zhiibiigibijigaade vii it is stretched (by someone) (by pulling), "they" stretch it (by pulling)

zhiibiigibijigaazo vai s/he is stretched (by someone) (by pulling), "they" stretch it (by pulling)

zhiibiigibijige vai s/he stretches things (by pulling)

zhiibiigibizh vta stretch h/ (by pulling)

Paired with: zhiibiigibidoon vti2

zhiibiigise vii

zhiibiigishkan vti stretch it on foot or body

Paired with: zhiibiigishkaw vta

zhiibiigishkaw vta stretch it (animate) on foot or body

Paired with: zhiibiigishkan vti

zhiibiigishkaa vii it stretches (as something sheet-like)

zhiibiigishkaa-wiiwakwaan ni a stocking cap; [Canada] a toque, tuque

zhiibiigishkaawayaan ni [BL] sweater, sweatshirt

zhiibiigitaa vai s/he stretches (h/ body)

zhiigaa na a widow, a widower

(verb of being) zhiigaawi vai she is a widow, he is a widower
zhiigaawi vai she is a widow, he is a widower

zhiigon vta empty h/

Paired with: zhiigonan vti

zhiigonamaw vta empty (it) for h/

zhiigonan vti empty it

Paired with: zhiigon vta

(benefactive) zhiigonamaw vta empty (it) for h/ (detransitive) zhiigonige vai s/he empties things (verb of undergoing) zhiigonigaade vii it is emptied (by someone), "they" empty it (verb of undergoing) zhiigonigaazo vai it (animate) is emptied (by someone), "they" empty it (animate)
zhiigonigaade vii it is emptied (by someone), "they" empty it

zhiigonigaazo vai it (animate) is emptied (by someone), "they" empty it (animate)

zhiigonige vai s/he empties things

zhiigonike vai s/he has a thin arm or thin arms

zhiigoninjii vai s/he has skinny fingers

zhiigoshkigan ni (an item of) discarded clothing

zhiigoshkigani-adaawewigamig ni a second-hand clothing store

zhiigozh vta cut it (animate) up

Paired with: zhiigozhan vti

zhiigozhan vti cut it up

(derived noun) zhiigozhigan ni a carcass
zhiigozhigan ni a carcass

zhiigoojiin vta deflate h/

Paired with: zhiigoojiinan vti

zhiigoojiinan vti deflate it

Paired with: zhiigoojiin vta

zhiigwanaabik na a grindstone

zhiigwanaabikoons na a whetstone

zhiigwaabaawadoon vti2 get it soaking wet

Paired with: zhiigwaabaawazh vta

zhiigwaabaawazh vta get h/ soaking wet

Paired with: zhiigwaabaawadoon vti2

zhiigwaabaawe vii it is soaked, is soaking wet

Paired with: zhiigwaabaawe vai

zhiigwaabaawe vai s/he or it (animate) is soaked, is soaking wet

Paired with: zhiigwaabaawe vii

zhiingendan vti dislike, disapprove of, hate it

Paired with: zhiingenim vta

zhiingendaagozi vai s/he is disliked, disapproved of, hated

Paired with: zhiingendaagwad vii

zhiingendaagwad vii it is disliked, disapproved of, hated

Paired with: zhiingendaagozi vai

zhiingenim vta dislike, disaprove of, hate h/

Paired with: zhiingendan vti

(reciprocal) zhiingenindiwag vai they dislike, disapprove of, hate each other
zhiingenindiwag vai they dislike, disapprove of, hate each other

zhiingitam vai2 s/he doesn't like listening, doesn't like something h/ hears

zhiingitan vti dislike, hate listening to or hearing it

Paired with: zhiingitaw vta

zhiingitaw vta dislike, hate listening to or hearing h/

Paired with: zhiingitan vti

zhiingitaagozi vai h/ sound is disliked, is hated, is not welcome

Paired with: zhiingitaagwad vii

zhiingitaagwad vii its sound is disliked, is hated, is not welcome

Paired with: zhiingitaagozi vai

zhiishada'an vti [RL] sweep it, brush something off it

See also: jiishada'an vti

(detransitive) zhiishada'ige vai [RL] s/he sweeps (derived noun) zhiishada'igan ni [RL] a broom
zhiishada'igan ni [RL] a broom

zhiishada'ige vai [RL] s/he sweeps

zhiishiib na a duck

zhiishiibakik na a tea kettle with a curved spout

zhiishiibanwi ni birdshot

zhiishiibanwii-baashkizigan ni a shotgun

zhiishiibanwii-baashkiizganaabik ni a shotgun barrel

zhiishiibazison ni [BL] a duck's nest

zhiishiibaawan ni a duck egg

zhiishiibi-bimide ni duck grease

zhiishiibi-wiiyaas ni duck meat

zhiishiibidis ni a duck crop

zhiishiibigwan na a duck feather

zhiishiibikojigan na a duck decoy

zhiishiigi vai s/he urinates

zhiishiigwan na a rattle

See also: zhiishiigwan ni [LL]

zhiishiigwan ni [LL] a rattle

See also: zhiishiigwan na

zhiishiigwaans na a sugar cake, a sugar cone,

zhiishiigwe na a rattlesnake

zhiiwan vii it is sour; [BL] it is sweet

Paired with: zhiiwizi vai

zhiiwaa vii [RL] it is sour

Paired with: zhiiwizi vai

zhiiwaabo ni [BL] a soft drink; pop

zhiiwaaboo ni vinegar

zhiiwaabookaade vii it is pickled

zhiiwaagama'amaw vta [BL] sweeten it (a drink) for h/

zhiiwaagama'an vti [BL] sweeten it (a drink)

(benefactive) zhiiwaagama'amaw vta [BL] sweeten it (a drink) for h/
zhiiwaagamide vii it thickens into syrup

zhiiwaagamin vii it (a liquid) is sour; [BL] it (a liquid) is sweet

zhiiwaagaminamaw vta [BL] sweeten it (liquid) for h/

zhiiwaagaminan vti [BL] sweeten it (liquid)

(benefactive) zhiiwaagaminamaw vta [BL] sweeten it (liquid) for h/
zhiiwaagamisin vii it (liquid) turns sour

zhiiwaagamizan vti cook it to a syrup

(detransitive) zhiiwaagamizige vai s/he makes syrup (verb of undergoing) zhiiwaagamizigaade vii it is cooked to syrup (by someone), "they" cook it to syrup (derived noun) zhiiwaagamizigan ni syrup; maple syrup
(verb of making) zhiiwaagamiziganike vai s/he makes syrup

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.