Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

anishinaabe-ogimaa na government official dealing with Native affairs: Indian agent, INAC (Indigenous and Northern Affairs) staff person

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 Ojibwe language; an American Indian 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/

anishinaabewagindaasowin ni

anishinaabewaki ni Indian country

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

anishinaabewazhaga'ay na human skin

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

anishinaabewinikaazowin ni an Anishinaabe name

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)

anishinaabewitwaa vai s/he believes in Anishinaabe spiritual teachings, leads the Anishinaabe way of life

(derived noun) anishinaabewitwaawin ni spiritual teaching of the Anishinaabe; Anishinaabe beliefs, traditions, and way of life
anishinaabewitwaawin ni spiritual teaching of the Anishinaabe; Anishinaabe beliefs, traditions, and way of life

anit ni a fish spear

anitekamigaa vii there are patches of ground showing through the snow

anitewan vii there is a bare spot or more in the snow on the ground

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

anooj adv qnt all kinds; various; carelessly, abusively

anooj gegoo pron indf a variety of things; various things

anookii vai s/he hires, orders, commissions (someone)

anoozh vta hire, order, commission h/ (to do something), ask h/ to do something

anwaataa vai s/he stops doing something

anwaatin vii it is calm weather

anwebi vai s/he rests

anwesidoon vti2 let it rest

anweshin vai s/he rests lying down

anwi ni something that can be shot through the air by a weapon: a bullet, a shot gun shell, [old] an arrow

(verb of making) anwiike vai s/he makes bullets (verb of possession) odanwiimi vai s/he has bullets, has (shotgun) shells (derived noun) anwiins ni a small caliber bullet; a twenty-two bullet
anwii-baashkizigan ni a rifle

anwiike vai s/he makes bullets

anwiins ni a small caliber bullet; a twenty-two bullet

anzig na a merganser

anzhikegaabawi vai s/he stands alone

anzhike'amaazo vai [RL] s/he sings alone

anzhikewabi vai [RL] s/he lives alone, is home alone, sits alone

See also: nazhikewabi vai

anzhikewige vai s/he lives alone

See also: nazhikewige vai

anzikwe'o vai [RL] s/he combs h/ hair

See also: nazikwe'o vai

apabaadan vti sit on it

Paired with: apabaazh vta See also: apabaazh vta

apabaazh vta sit on h/

Paired with: apabaadan vti

apabi vai s/he sits on something

(derived noun) apabiwin ni a chair, a seat (applicative) apabaadan vti sit on it (applicative) apabaazh vta sit on h/
apabiwin ni a chair, a seat

apagadaganaam vta knock h/ down or against something (by hitting with force)

Paired with: apagadaganaandan vti

apagadaganaandan vti knock it down or against something (by hitting with force)

Paired with: apagadaganaam vta

apagada'an vii the wind blows against something

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.

  • Audio recordings
  • Images
  • Video
  • Documents

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.