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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

bibineyaa vii it is powdered, is a powder

bibinezi vai s/he; s/he is powdered, is a powder

biboon vii it is winter

biboon adv num a year; a winter

► daso-biboon adv num

biboonagad vii it is a winter, it (a year) passes

► daso-biboonagad vii

biboonagizi vai s/he is a number of years old

► daso-biboonagizi vai

biboonakizine vai s/he wears winter boots or moccasins

bibooni-babiinzikawaagan ni a winter coat

bibooni-bagidaabaan ni a winter setline: a fishing line with multiple hooks set under the ice

bibooni-giizis na [BL] December

bibooni-miikana ni a winter road

biboonishi vai s/he spends the winter somewhere

biboonodaabaan na a sleigh

biboonodaabaanens na a sled

biboonong adv tmp last winter

bichi- pv lex accidentally, by accident

bichibizo vai s/he is accidentally run over

bichibo vai s/he is poisoned

(derived noun) bichibowin ni poison (applicative) bichiboozh vta poison h/
(reflexive) bichiboonidizo vai s/he poisons h/ self
bichibowin ni poison

bichiboonidizo vai s/he poisons h/ self

bichiboozh vta poison h/

bichi' vta mistake h/ for someone else; take h/ by accident

bichinan vti shoot it accidentally

Paired with: bichinaw vta

bichinaw vta shoot h/ accidentally

Paired with: bichinan vti

(detransitive) bichinaage vai s/he shoots people accidentally (reflexive) bichinaadizo vai s/he shoots h/ self accidentally
bichinaadizo vai s/he shoots h/ self accidentally

bichinaage vai s/he shoots people accidentally

bidikobizo vai s/he drives making a rumbling sound

bidikowe vai s/he has a deep voice

bidikwe vii it has a deep rumbling sound

bigishkada' vta pound, chop h/ to pieces (using a stick or a stick-like tool)

Paired with: bigishkada'an vti

bigishkada'an vti pound, chop it to pieces (using a stick or a stick-like tool)

Paired with: bigishkada' vta

bigishkam vta chew h/ to pieces, chew h/ up

Paired with: bigishkandan vti

bigishkanad vii it is rotten, falls to pieces, decays

Paired with: bigishkanani vai

bigishkanani vai it (animate) is rotten, falls to pieces, decays

Paired with: bigishkanad vii

bigishkandan vti chew it up, chew it to pieces

Paired with: bigishkam vta

bigishkanimaagozi vai s/he smells rotten

Paired with: bigishkanimaagwad vii

bigishkanimaagwad vii it smells rotten

Paired with: bigishkanimaagozi vai

bigishkanimaam vta find s/he smells rotten

Paired with: bigishkanimaandan vti

bigishkanimaandan vti find it smells rotten

Paired with: bigishkanimaam vta

bigishkanipogozi vai s/he tastes rotten

Paired with: bigishkanipogwad vii

bigishkanipogwad vii it tastes rotten

Paired with: bigishkanipogozi vai

bigishki- pv lex in small pieces

bigishki-zhooniyaans na loose change

bigishkibidoon vti2 tear it to pieces, crush it up (with the hands)

Paired with: bigishkibizh vta

bigishkibizh vta tear it (animate) to pieces, crush it (animate) up (with the hands)

Paired with: bigishkibidoon vti2

bigishkiboode vii it is ground up

Paired with: bigishkiboozo vai

bigishkiboode-wiiyaas ni ground meat, hamburger

bigishkiboodoon vti2 grind it up

Paired with: bigishkiboozh vta

bigishkiboozh vta grind h/ up

Paired with: bigishkiboodoon vti2

bigishkiboozo vai s/he is ground up

Paired with: bigishkiboode vii

bigishkiga' vta chop h/ to pieces

Paired with: bigishkiga'an vti

bigishkiga'an vti chop it to pieces

Paired with: bigishkiga' vta

bigishkiga'ise vai s/he chops up firewood (for kitchen wood)

bigishkinan vti break it apart into pieces (by hand)

bigishkise vai s/he goes to pieces, breaks down

Paired with: bigishkise vii

bigishkise vii it goes to pieces, breaks down

Paired with: bigishkise vai

bigishkizh vta cut h/ into small pieces, dice h/

Paired with: bigishkizhan vti

bigishkiz vta cook h/ to pieces

Paired with: bigishkizan vti

bigishkizhan vti cut it to pieces

Paired with: bigishkizh vta

(verb of undergoing) bigishkizhigaade vii it is cut to pieces (by someone), "they" cut it to pieces
bigishkizan vti cook it to pieces

Paired with: bigishkiz vta

bigishkizhigaade vii it is cut to pieces (by someone), "they" cut it to pieces

bigishkizhige vai s/he cuts things to pieces

bigiw ni pitch, tar

(verb of making) bigiike vai s/he applies pitch, tar, or putty
(applicative) bigiikaadan vti apply pitch, tar or putty to it
(verb of undergoing) bigiikaajigaade vii it is tarred, pitched (by someone), "they" tar, pitch it
(verb of being) bigiiwan vii it has pitch, resin, or gum on it (verb of being) bigiiwi vai s/he has pitch, resin, or gum on h/
bigiwaakosag na a pitch tree

bigiwizigan ni maple taffy

bigiwizige vai s/he makes taffy

bigii- pv lex pitch, tar

bigii-miikana ni an asphalt road

bigiikaadan vti apply pitch, tar or putty to it

bigiikaajigaade vii it is tarred, pitched (by someone), "they" tar, pitch it

bigiike vai s/he applies pitch, tar, or putty

bigiins na chewing gum

bigiiwan vii it has pitch, resin, or gum on it

Paired with: bigiiwi vai

bigiiwi vai s/he has pitch, resin, or gum on h/

Paired with: bigiiwan vii

bigoshens na [RL] a gnat

(verb of abundance) bigoshensikaa vii there are (many) gnats
bigoshensikaa vii there are (many) gnats

bigwadakamig adv loc [NI] in the wilderness

Paired with: bagwadakamig adv loc

bijiinag adv tmp after a while, eventually, finally; just now; recently

bijiinaago adv tmp yesterday

bikojii vai s/he is paunchy, is pot-bellied

bikokobaa vii it is a clump of brush

bikominagad vii it is round like a ball, is globular

bikominagijaane vai s/he has a bulbous nose

bikonagizhii vai s/he has a potbelly

bikosin vii it lies like a lump or bump

Paired with: bikoshin vai

bikoshin vai s/he lies like a bump or lump

Paired with: bikosin vii

bikoojaan ni a ball of twine or yarn

bikwadaawangaa vii it is sand dune or sand hill

bikwadinaa vii it is a knoll, is a hill

bikwak ni an arrow

(verb of making) bikwakoke vai s/he makes arrows (verb of possession) obikwako vai s/he has an arrow or arrows
bikwakamigaa vii there is a hump in the ground

bikwakoke vai s/he makes arrows

bikwaabikadinaa vii there is a rocky hill or hills

bikwaabikaa vii it is a rocky mound

bikwaakoganaan ni an ankle or wrist joint

bikwaakwad ni a ball

bikwaakwada'oodoon vti2 wind it into ball

bikwaakwado-bagamaagan ni a ball-headed club

bikwaakwado-ziinzibaakwad ni [BL] a sugar cube

bikwaakwadominagad vii it (something small and round) is chubby

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.