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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

murder
n
murder
nitaagewin ni killing, murder

commit murder
nishiwe vai s/he kills, commits murder

muscle
n
muscle
mashkawiziiwin ni a muscle; power

sore muscles
gaagiijiiwagizi vai s/he has sore muscles

mushroom
n
mushroom
wazhashkwedoons na a mushroom

wazhashkwedow na fungus; a mushroom; a pine cone

music
n
play music
gidochige vai [BL] s/he plays music

madwewetoon vti2 make it sound, play it

madwewechige vai s/he makes things sound, plays (music)

madwewetaw vta play music for h/

noondaagotoon vti2 play it (so it makes sounds)

noondaagochige vai s/he plays a wind instrument

musical instrument
n
musical instrument
gidochigan ni [BL] a device that speaks: a radio, a phonograph, a record player, a cd player

madwewechigan ni a musical instrument (especially a keyboard instrument): a piano, an organ

noondaagochigan na [RL] a musical instrument (especially a wind instrument): horn, whistle, harmonica

See also: noondaagochigan ni

noondaagochigan ni a musical instrument (especially a wind instrument): horn, whistle, harmonica

See also: noondaagochigan na [RL]

muskeg
n
muskeg
mashkiig ni [N] a swamp, a muskeg

waabashkiki ni [LL] [ML] a swamp, a muskeg

across a muskeg
agaamashkiig adv loc across a muskeg

by a muskeg
jiigashkiig adv loc by the swamp, by the muskeg

along a muskeg
jiigashkiig adv loc by the swamp, by the muskeg

jiigeweshkiig adv loc along the side of a muskeg

dry muskeg
bengwashkiigaa vii it is a dry muskeg

hummocky muskeg
babiikwashkiigaa vii it is a hummocky musekg

long muskeg
ginwashkiigaa vii it is a long stretch of muskeg

narrows through muskeg
obashkiigaa vii it is a swampy narrows, is a narrows through muskeg

nice muskeg
minwashkiigaa vii it is a nice and level muskeg

short muskeg
dakwashkiigaa vii it is a short muskeg

wet muskeg
nibiiwashkiigaa vii it is a wet muskeg

muskellunge
n
muskellunge
maashkinoozhe na a muskellunge

[
Esox masquinongy
]

ozhaawashko-ginoozhe na a muskellunge

muskrat
n
muskrat
wazhashk na a muskrat

[
Ondatra zibethicus
]

female muskrat
noozhezhashk na a female muskrat

hunt muskrat
noodazhashkwe vai s/he hunts muskrat

male muskrat
naabezhashk na a male muskrat

muskrat grease
n
muskrat grease
wazhashko-bimide ni muskrat grease

muskrat hide
n
muskrat hide
wazhashkwayaan na a muskrat hide

muskrat lodge
n
muskrat lodge
wazhashkwiish ni a muskrat lodge

muskrat meat
n
muskrat meat
wazhashko-wiiyaas ni muskrat meat

must
v
must
daa- pv tns modal preverb of possibility, necessity, or obligation: can, could, should, would, might, must

must be
vi
must be
iidog pc asp maybe; must be

my
pron
my
ni= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

in= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

n= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

nind= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

ind= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

nd= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

nim= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

im= pf [first person prefix before b-]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

m= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

niy= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

my turn
niinitam pron per my turn, me next

myth
n
myth
aadizookaan na
  1. a sacred story (a legend, a myth)
  2. a spirit

See also: aadisookaan na

tell a myth
aadizookaw vta tell a sacred story (a legend, a myth) to h/

aadizooke vai s/he tells a sacred story (a legend, a myth)

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.