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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

apiitanjige vai s/he eats a certain rate

apiitashkad vii it (plant, grass) has a stalk so high, is so high

apiitaa vii it is a certain height, is a certain thickness

Paired with: apiitizi vai

apiitaabikad vii it (mineral) has a certain height, depth, or thickness

Paired with: apiitaabikizi vai

apiitaabikide vii it (mineral) is so hot, is hot to such an extent

apiitaabikinan vti set it at such a temperature (of a stove)

apiitaabikizi vai it (animate; mineral) has a certain height, depth, or thickess

apiitaadizi vai s/he is a certain age, is so old or young

apiitaagamide vii it (a liquid) is heated to such a temperature

apiitaagamishkaa vii it (liquid) reaches such a strength, temperature, or pressure; it (blood) is so high in pressure

apiitaagonagaa vii there is snow so deep, the snow is a certain depth

apiitaagoojin vai

apiitaagoozh vta

apiitaakwadin vii it is frozen so thick or so far

Paired with: apiitaakwaji vai

apiitaakwaji vai it (animate) is frozen so thick or so far

Paired with: apiitaakwadin vii

apiitaanike vai s/he digs so deep

apiitaanimad vii it (wind) has a certain speed, has a certain strength

apiitaapine vai s/he is sick to such an extent

apiitaasige vai the sun or moon shines so bright; the moon is in a certain phase; it is so far along in the month

apiitaate vii it is so hot from sun, sunlight goes so far

apiitaawangisidoon vti2 pile it (sand) so high

apiitendan vti be so proud of it; value, regard it so high

Paired with: apiitenim vta

apiitendaagozi vai s/he is valued so high, ranks so high, is so important

Paired with: apiitendaagwad vii

apiitendaagwad vii it is valued so high, ranks so high, is so important, is worthy

Paired with: apiitendaagozi vai

apiitendi vai s/he is away, absent, gone so long

apiitenim vta regard h/ to such an extent, be so proud of h/

Paired with: apiitendan vti

(reflexive) apiitenindizo vai s/he thinks of h/ self to a certain extent
apiitenimo vai s/he is so proud of h/ self

apiitenindizo vai s/he thinks of h/ self to a certain extent

apiitinigozi vai s/he weighs so much, is so heavy

Paired with: apiitinigwad vii

apiitinigwad vii it weighs so much, is so heavy

Paired with: apiitinigozi vai

apiitizi vai s/he is a certain age, is so old or young

Paired with: apiitaa vii

apiitizo vai it (animate) is cooked a certain extent or at a certain speed

apiitowe vai s/he has a voice of a certain intensity, has so loud a voice

apiitoonagad vii it (canoe or boat) is so deep, is so high

apiizikaa vai s/he goes a certain speed, goes so fast

asab na a net

(verb of making) asabike vai s/he makes nets (verb of possession) odasabii vai s/he has a net or nets
asabaa vii it has small holes, is a mesh

Paired with: asabizi vai

asabaab ni thread

asabaabik ni metal screen or mesh

asabaabikad vii it (mineral) has small holes, is perforated

Paired with: asabaabikizi vai

asabaabikizi vai it (mineral, animate) has small holes, is perforated

Paired with: asabaabikad vii

asabaabis na [BL] thread

(verb of possession) odasabaabisi vai [BL] s/he has thread
asabaabisens na thread

asabaabiiwaatig ni a spool (for thread)

asabikaanaak na a net shuttle

See also: asabikaanaak ni

asabikaanaak ni a net shuttle

See also: asabikaanaak na

asabike vai s/he makes nets

asabikeshiinh na a spider

asabikeyaab na net twine

asabishkaa vii it gets full of holes

asabishkoode vii it is shot full of holes

Paired with: asabishkoozo vai

asabishkoozo vai s/he is shot full of holes

Paired with: asabishkoode vii

asabizi vai it (animate) has small holes, is a mesh

Paired with: asabaa vii

asabii-nibewinens ni [BL] a mesh-sided bassinet

asabiiwazh ni a coarsely woven bag: a burlap bag, a gunny sack

asanii vai s/he (a tree) has bark hard to get off

asanjigo vai s/he stores, caches, stashes, deposits something

(derived noun) asanjigowin ni a cache; a stash
asanjigon vai + o s/he caches (it)

asanjigowin ni a cache; a stash

asanjigoowigamig ni a structure for storage: a storage lodge, a shed, a storage room

asasawemin ni a chokecherry

[
Prunus virginiana
]

asasaweminaganzh na [NI] a chokecherry bush or tree

[
Prunus virginiana
]

See also: asasaweminagaawanzh na

asasaweminagaawanzh na a chokecherry bush or tree

[
Prunus virginiana
]

asasaweminaaboo ni chokecherry tea

asasawemini-baashkiminasigan ni chokecherry sauce, chokecherry jelly

asaa'wens na [BL] a perch

See also: asaawens na

asaawe na a perch

[
yellow perch
; 
Perca flavescens
]

See also: asaawens na

asaawens na a perch

[
yellow perch
; 
Perca flavescens
]

asekaadan vti tan it; pull and stretch it (a hide)

asekaan ni [NI] a tanned hide

asekaan na a tanned hide

asekaazh vta tan it (animate: a hide); pull and stretch it (animate; a hide) to tan it

aseke vai s/he tans hides; s/he pulls and stretches a hide

(applicative) asekaazh vta pull and stretch it (animate; a hide) to tan it; tan it (animate: a hide) (applicative) asekaadan vti pull and stretch it (a hide); tan it (derived noun) asekewin ni tanning
asekewin ni tanning

asemaa na tobacco

(verb of making) asemaake vai s/he works with tobacco, offers tobacco
(applicative) asemaakaazh vta offer tobacco to h/
(verb of possession) odasemaami vai s/he has tobacco (verb of possession) odasemaawi vai s/he has tobacco (derived noun) asemaans na a cigarette
(verb of possession) odasemaansimi vai s/he has a cigarette or cigarettes
asemaa-adaawewigamig ni a tobacco store

asemaa-mashkimodens ni [diminutive]: a tobacco pouch

asemaa-opwaagaans na a cigarette

See also: asemaawipwaagaans na

asemaakaadan vti offer tobacco to it

asemaakaazh vta offer tobacco to h/

asemaake vai s/he works with tobacco, offers tobacco

asemaans na a cigarette

See also: opwaagaans na

(verb of possession) odasemaansimi vai s/he has a cigarette or cigarettes
asemaawazh ni [BL] [diminutive]: a tobacco pouch; a tobacco bag

(verb of possession) odasemaawazhi vai s/he has a tobacco bag
asemaawinaagan ni a tobacco tray

asemaawipwaagaans na a cigarette

See also: asemaa-opwaagaans na

asigagim vta add h/ together (e.g., money)

Paired with: asigagindan vti

asigagindan vti add it together

Paired with: asigagim vta

(detransitive) asigagindaaso vai s/he adds, totals
asigagindaaso vai s/he adds, totals

asigaawadoon vti haul it together

Paired with: asigaawazh vta

asigaawazh vta assemble them in a group, round them up; haul everything (animate) together

asigibii'an vti add it up

(detransitive) asigibii'ige vai s/he writes numbers, adds things up, tallies up (derived noun) asigibii'igan ni a number; a calculator
asigibii'igan ni a number; a calculator

asigibii'ige vai s/he writes numbers, adds things up, tallies up

asigibii'igewikwe na an accountant, a bookkeeper (female)

asigibii'igewinini na an accountant, a bookkeeper

asigi'idiwag vai they come together, assemble

asigin vta gather h/ up, collect h/

Paired with: asiginan vti

asiginamaw vta pick (them) up for h/; gather, collect (them) up for h/

asiginan vti gather it up, collect it

Paired with: asigin vta

(verb of undergoing) asiginigaade vii it is gathered up (by someone), "they" gather it up (verb of undergoing) asiginigaazo vai it (animate) is gathered up (by someone), "they" gather it (animate) up (benefactive) asiginamaw vta pick (them) up for h/; gather, collect (them) up for h/
asiginaak na a blackbird

[
red-winged blackbird
; 
Agelaius phoeniceus
]

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.