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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

bepeshaawigane vai s/he has stripes on h/ back

bepeshigwane vai s/he (a bird) has striped feathers

bepeshin vta tag h/

bepeshinidiwag vai they play tag with each other

bepeshinidiwin ni game of tag

bepeshiningwii vai s/he has striped wings

bepeshizi vai s/he has stripes, lines

Paired with: bepeshaa vii

bepeshiigad vii it (something sheet-like) has stripes

Paired with: bepeshiigizi vai

bepeshiigizi vai s/he (something sheet-like) has stripes

Paired with: bepeshiigad vii

beshaa vii it has a line, has a stripe

Paired with: beshizi vai

beshaakwanashkidii vai s/he (a bird) has a striped tail

beshaanowe vai s/he has a stripe on h/ tail

beshaawigane vai [N] s/he has a stripe on h/ back

beshaawiganezh vta cut h/ on h/ back

beshaawiganezhwi vta [BL]

► beshaawiganezh vta

beshibii' vta mark h/ with a stripe

Paired with: beshibii'an vti

beshibii'amaw vta mark (it) with a line or stripe for h/

beshibii'an vti mark it with a line or stripe

Paired with: beshibii' vta

(benefactive) beshibii'amaw vta mark (it) with a line or stripe for h/ (detransitive) beshibii'ige vai s/he marks things with a line or stripe (verb of undergoing) beshibii'igaade vii it is marked with a line or stripe (by someone), "they" mark it with a line or stripe (verb of undergoing) beshibii'igaazo vai h/ is marked with a line or stripe (by someone), "they" mark it with a line or stripe
beshibii'igaade vii it is marked with a line or stripe (by someone), "they" mark it with a line or stripe

beshibii'igaazo vai h/ is marked with a line or stripe (by someone), "they" mark it with a line or stripe

beshibii'ige vai s/he marks things with a line or stripe

beshidaamikaneshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ chin or jaw

beshidooneshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ mouth

beshigaadeshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ leg

beshinikeshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ arm

beshininjiishin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ hand

beshizh vta make a cut on h/

Paired with: beshizhan vti

beshizhan vti make a cut on it

Paired with: beshizh vta

beshizi vai s/he has a line, has a stripe

Paired with: beshaa vii

beshizideshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ foot

beshizhwi vta [NI]

► beshizh vta

beshiigad vii it (something sheet-like) has a stripe, a mark

beshiigizi vai s/he (something sheet-like) has a stripe, has a line

Paired with: beshiigad vii

beshiigizi vai

beshiingweshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ face

beshk na [BL] a nighthawk

[
common nighthawk
; 
Chordeiles minor
]

See also: beshkwe na

beshkwe na a nighthawk

[
common nighthawk
; 
Chordeiles minor
]

See also: beshk na [BL]

besho adv loc near, nearby, close

beshonaagozi vai s/he appears to be close

Paired with: beshonaagwad vii

beshonaagwad vii it appears to be close

Paired with: beshonaagozi vai

beshotan vti be in close hearing of it, hear it coming closer

Paired with: beshotaw vta

beshotaw vta be in close hearing of h/, hear h/ coming closer

Paired with: beshotan vti

beshowad vii it is near, is nearby, is close

beshwaji' vta be close friends with h/

beshwaabam vta see h/ nearby, be in close view of h/, catch sight of h/

Paired with: beshwaabandan vti

beshwaabandan vti see it nearby, be in close view of it, catch sight of it

Paired with: beshwaabam vta

beshwendan vti think it to be near or soon

Paired with: beshwenim vta

beshwendaagozi vai s/he is thought near

Paired with: beshwendaagwad vii

beshwendaagwad vii it is thought near

Paired with: beshwendaagozi vai

beshwenim vta think h/ to be near or near soon

Paired with: beshwendan vti

beshwewidam vai2 s/he is heard making sound nearby

bezhig adv num
  1. one
  2. a certain one

bezhigo vai s/he is alone, is one, is the only one

bezhigo- pv qnt one

bezhigo-diba'iganeyaa vii [BL] it is one o'clock

bezhigozigwam adv num one block of ice

bezhigoobi vai one sits, is at home

bezhigoobii'igan na an ace

bezhigoogaabawi vai one (animate) stands; s/he stands alone

bezhigoopide vii one (inanimate) is tied

Paired with: bezhigoopizo vai

bezhigoopidoon vti2 tie one of it

Paired with: bezhigoopizh vta

bezhigoopizh vta tie, hitch one (animate)

Paired with: bezhigoopidoon vti2

bezhigoopizo vai one (animate) is tied, is hitched

Paired with: bezhigoopide vii

bezhigooshin vai s/he lies alone

bezhigwaginzo vai [BL] it is the first (of the month)

bezhigwan vii it is one; it is the only one; it is the same

bezhigwanong adv loc in one place; one place

bezhigwaabik na one dollar

bezhigwaatig adv num one stick-like object

bezhigweg adv num one piece of something sheet-like

bezikaa vai s/he moves slowly

bezikaabatoo vai s/he runs slowly

bezhizhooniyaans na a dime

bi- pv dir here; hither; this way; toward the speaker

bi-izhaa vai s/he comes

bi-naagozi vai s/he appears; s/he comes into view

Paired with: bi-naagwad vii

bi-naagwad vii it appears; it comes into view

Paired with: bi-naagozi vai

bibagadin vii it is frozen thin

bibaganagekozi vai s/he (a tree) has thin bark

bibagaa vii it is thin

Paired with: bibagizi vai

bibagaabikad vii it is thin (as something mineral)

Paired with: bibagaabikizi vai

bibagaabikizi vai s/he is thin (as something mineral)

Paired with: bibagaabikad vii

bibagaakwadin vii it freezes thin, is frozen thin

Paired with: bibagaakwaji vai

bibagaakwaji vai s/he freezes thin, is frozen thin

Paired with: bibagaakwadin vii

bibagikodan vti slice it thin

Paired with: bibagikozh vta

bibagikonaye vai s/he wears a thin layer of clothes

bibagikozh vta slice h/ thin

Paired with: bibagikodan vti

bibagisin vii it lies in a thin layer

Paired with: bibagishin vai

bibagishin vai s/he lies in a thin layer

Paired with: bibagisin vii

bibagizh vta cut h/ thin

Paired with: bibagizhan vti

bibagizhan vti cut it thin

Paired with: bibagizh vta

bibagizi vai s/he is thin

Paired with: bibagaa vii

bibagizigwaa vii it (something slab-like) is thin; there is thin ice

bibagizhwi vta [NI]

► bibagizh vta

bibagiigad vii it (something sheet-like) is thin

Paired with: bibagiigizi vai

bibagiigizi vai s/he is thin (as something sheet-like)

Paired with: bibagiigad vii

bibigwan ni a flute

bibigwe vai s/he plays the flute

bibine- pv lex powdered, finely granulated

bibine-bakwezhigan na flour

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.