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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

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You can search the Ojibwe People's Dictionary in Ojibwe or English.

Search in Ojibwe

The Ojibwe People's Dictionary uses the Double-Vowel alphabet to write Ojibwe words. This alphabet has become the standard writing system for Ojibwe in the United States and some parts of Canada. 

For the most accurate results, use the citation form of the Ojibwe word. For nouns, the citation form is the singular form. For intransitive verbs (with zero or one participant) the citation form is the independent, third-person (she/he/it) singular form. The citation form for transitive verbs (with two or more participants) is the imperative (or command), second-person form -- this is sometimes translated as a command to "do X".

Search in English

Searching for a term in English will provide you with Ojibwe words categorized under that keyword. Results may be further subdivided under secondary keywords for clarity.

For the best results, use the singular form of English nouns and the simple present form of English verbs ("walk" instead of "walking" or "walked"). 

Remember that it is not possible to directly translate all words and concepts from one language to another. If you do not find the results you are looking for, try a synonym or a more general term.

Search Cultural Collections

Clicking the search for Cultural Collections will give you access to photographic, video, and historical document results only. The Cultural Collections complements the dictionary by illustrating a wide range of Ojibwe material culture and archives including historic photographs, documents, and artifacts from the Minnesota Historical Society. Additional contemporary photos have been provided by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, as well as by individuals and community organizations.