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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

animwewebizo vai s/he speeds, drives, flies away making noise

Paired with: animwewebide vii

animwewebiisaa vii [MN] rain is heard going away [in the other direction]

See also: animwewebiisaan vii [BL]

animwewebiisaan vii [BL] rain is heard going away [in the other direction]

See also: animwewebiisaa vii [MN]

animwewegamakwazhiwe vai s/he is heard paddling away (in the other direction)

animwewejiwan vii it is heard flowing away

animwewekamigishin vai s/he is heard stepping away on the ground

animweweshin vai s/he is heard walking away

animwewetoo vai s/he walks away speaking publicly, making sounds

animweweyaadagaa vai s/he is heard swimming away [in the other direction]

See also: animweweyaadage vai [BL]

animweweyaadagaako vai s/he is heard going away on the ice

animweweyaadagaazii vai s/he is heard wading away

animweweyaadage vai [BL] s/he is heard swimming away [in the other direction]

See also: animweweyaadagaa vai

animweweyaanimad vii the wind is heard blowing away (in the other direction)

animwewidam vai2 s/he goes away making (vocal) sounds

aninaandag na a balsam fir

See also: ininaandag na

aninaatig na a maple

[
sugar maple
; 
Acer saccharum
]

See also: ininaatig na ; ziinzibaakwadwaatig na

(verb of abundance) aninaatigokaa vii there are (many) maples
aninaatigokaa vii there are (many) maples

aninishib na a mallard

[
Anas platyrhynchos
]

See also: ininishib na

anishaa adv man just for fun; just for nothing; not really; without purpose

anishinaabe na
  1. a person, a human (in contrast to a non-human being)
  2. an Indian (in contrast to a non-Indian), a Native (in contrast to a non-Native)
  3. an Ojibwe

(verb of being) anishinaabewi vai
  1. s/he is Ojibwe
  2. s/he is Indian
  3. s/he is human
 (verb of abundance) anishinaabekaa vii
  1. there are (a lot of) Ojibwes
  2. there are (a lot of) Indians, Natives
  3. there are (a lot of) people, humans
anishinaabe-bakwezhigan na Indian bread

anishinaabe-bimaadizi vai s/he lives the Indian way

anishinaabe-gaagiigido vai s/he speaks in an Indian language (especially in Ojibwe)

anishinaabe-gaagiigidowin ni Ojibwe way of talking, Indian way of talking

anishinaabe-gikinoo'amaadiwin ni Indian education, Native education

anishinaabe-izhinikaazo vai s/he has an Indian name

(derived noun) anishinaabe-izhinikaazowin ni an Anishinaabe name, a spirit name
anishinaabe-izhinikaazowin ni an Anishinaabe name, a spirit name

anishinaabe-izhitwaawin ni Ojibwe religion, Indian religion

anishinaabe-manoomin ni wild rice

anishinaabe-maawandoogwaason ni an Indian quilt

anishinaabe-maawanjii'idiiwigamig ni an Indian center

anishinaabe-nagamo vai s/he sings an Indian song

anishinaabe-wiinzowin ni an Anishinaabe name, a spirit name

anishinaabe-ziinzibaakwad ni maple sugar

anishinaabe-zhiiwaagamizigan ni maple syrup

See also: zhiiwaagamizigan ni

anishinaabekaa vii
  1. there are (a lot of) Ojibwes
  2. there are (a lot of) Indians, Natives
  3. there are (a lot of) people, humans

anishinaabekwe na an Indian woman; an Ojibwe woman

(verb of being) anishinaabekwewi vai s/he is an Indian woman
anishinaabekwewi vai s/he is an Indian woman

anishinaabemo vai s/he speaks Ojibwe, speaks an Indian language

(applicative) anishinaabemonodaw vta [N] speak an Indian language to h/; speak Ojibwe to h/
(reciprocal) anishinaabemonodaadiwag vai [N] they speak Ojibwe to each other
(applicative) anishinaabemotaw vta [ML] speak an Indian language to h/; speak Ojibwe to h/
(derived noun) anishinaabemowin ni an Indian language, the Ojibwe language
anishinaabemonodaw vta [N] speak Ojibwe to h/; speak an Indian language to h/

See also: anishinaabemotaw vta [ML]

anishinaabemonodaadiwag vai [N] they speak Ojibwe to each other

anishinaabemotaw vta [ML] speak Ojibwe to h/; speak an Indian language to h/

anishinaabemowin ni an Indian language, the Ojibwe language

anishinaabewaki ni Indian country

anishinaabewanjige vai s/he eats traditional Anishinaabe food, has a traditional Anishinaabe diet

anishinaabewi vai
  1. s/he is Ojibwe
  2. s/he is human
  3. s/he is Indian

anishinaabewibii'amaw vta write (it) in Indian (Ojibwe) to h/, write (it) in Ojibwe to h/

anishinaabewibii'an vti write it in Indian, write it in Ojibwe

(benefactive) anishinaabewibii'amaw vta write (it) in Indian (Ojibwe) to h/, write (it) in Ojibwe to h/ (detransitive) anishinaabewibii'ige vai s/he writes in Indian (Ojibwe) (verb of undergoing) anishinaabewibii'igaade vii it is written in Indian (Ojibwe) by someone, "they" write it in Indian (Ojibwe) (derived noun) anishinaabewibii'igan ni something written in Indian (Ojibwe), Indian (Ojibwe) writing
anishinaabewibii'igan ni something written in Indian (Ojibwe), Indian (Ojibwe) writing

anishinaabewibii'igaade vii it is written in Indian (Ojibwe) by someone, "they" write it in Indian (Ojibwe)

anishinaabewibii'ige vai s/he writes in Indian (Ojibwe)

anishinaabewinikaadan vti call it in Indian (Ojibwe)

Paired with: anishinaabewinikaazh vta

anishinaabewinikaade vii it is called in Indian (Ojibwe)

Paired with: anishinaabewinikaazo vai

anishinaabewinikaazh vta call h/ in Indian (Ojibwe)

Paired with: anishinaabewinikaadan vti

anishinaabewinikaazo vai s/he is called in Indian (Ojibwe); s/he has a spirit name

Paired with: anishinaabewinikaade vii

anishinaabewisidoon vti2 write it in Indian (Ojibwe) (e.g., a book or document); express it in Indian (Ojibwe)

anishinaabewisin vii it is written in Indian (Ojibwe) (e.g., a book or document)

anit ni a fish spear

anitekamigaa vii there are patches of ground showing through the snow

aniw pron dem that [animate obviative demonstrative]; those [animate obviative demonstrative]

aniib na an elm

[
American elm
; 
Ulmus americana
]

aniibimin ni a highbush cranberry

[
American high-bush cranberry
; 
Viburnum trilobum
]

(verb of abundance) aniibiminikaa vii there are (many) high-bush cranberries
aniibiminagaawanzh na [ML] a highbush cranberry bush

[
American high-bush cranberry
; 
Viburnum trilobum
]

aniibiminaatig na [BL] a highbush cranberry bush

[
American high-bush cranberry
; 
Viburnum trilobum
]

aniibiminikaa vii there are (many) high-bush cranberries

aniibiish ni
  1. a leaf
  2. tea

(verb of making) aniibiishike vai s/he makes tea (verb of abundance) aniibiishikaa vii there are (many) leaves
aniibiishakik na a tea kettle

See also: nitiiwakik na [N]

aniibiishaaboo ni tea (the drink)

See also: nitii ni [N]

(verb of making) aniibiishaabooke vai s/he makes tea
aniibiishaabooke vai s/he makes tea

aniibiishaabookewinini na an East Asian person, an East Asian (male): Chinese, Japanese

aniibiishaabookewininiiwi vai he is East Asian: Chinese, Japanese
aniibiishaabookewininiiwi vai he is East Asian: Chinese, Japanese

aniibiishens ni leaf-bud, small leaf

aniibiishensikaa vii there are leaf buds; there are small leaves

aniibiishi-ozhaawishkwaa vii [NI] it is green

aniibiishibag ni a leaf

aniibiishikaa vii there are (many) leaves

aniibiishike vai s/he makes tea

aniibiishikewikwe na an Asian woman

aniibiishikewinini na an Asian

anjiko vai she is pregnant

anokaadan vti work on or at it

Paired with: anokaazh vta

(derived noun) anokaajigan ni something worked on, a product, a craft item ; plural: goods
anokaajigan ni something worked on, a product, a craft item ; plural: goods

anokaazh vta work on or at h/

Paired with: anokaadan vti

anokii vai s/he works

(verb of pretending) anokiikaazo vai s/he pretends to work (verb of addiction) anokiishki vai s/he is always working, is a "workaholic" (causative) anokii' vta make h/ work, put h/ to work, employ h/
(reflexive) anokii'idizo vai s/he makes h/ self work (reciprocal) anokii'idiwag vai they make each other work, put each other to work
(applicative) anokiitaw vta work for h/
(reflexive) anokiitaadizo vai s/he works for h/ self (reflexive) anokiitaazo vai s/he works for h/ self (detransitive) anokiitaage vai s/he works for people
(derived noun) anokiiwin ni work, a job
(verb of abundance) anokiiwinikaa vii there is (a lot of) work
anokii-minjikaawan na a work glove

anokii' vta make h/ work, put h/ to work, employ h/

anokii'idiwag vai they make each other work, put each other to work

anokii'idizo vai s/he makes h/ self work

anokiikaazo vai s/he pretends to work

anokiishki vai s/he is always working, is a "workaholic"

anokiitan vti work at it or on it

anokiitaw vta work for h/

anokiitaadizo vai s/he works for h/ self

See also: anokiitaazo vai

anokiitaage vai s/he works for people

anokiitaazo vai s/he works for h/ self

See also: anokiitaadizo vai

anokiiwigamig ni a workshop, a factory

anokiiwikwe na a (female) worker

anokiiwin ni work, a job

anokiiwinikaa vii there is (a lot of) work

anokiiwinini na a worker, a male worker

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

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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.