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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

babaamigidaazo vai s/he goes about angry, goes about mad

babaamigozi vai s/he moves h/ residence about

babaamikawe vai s/he leaves tracks going about

babaaminigaadan vti carry it around on the shoulder

Paired with: babaaminigaazh vta

babaaminigaazh vta carry h/ about on the shoulder

Paired with: babaaminigaadan vti

babaaminige vai s/he carries about on the shoulder

(applicative) babaaminigaadan vti carry it around on the shoulder (applicative) babaaminigaazh vta carry h/ about on the shoulder
babaaminizha' vta chase h/ about

Paired with: babaaminizha'an vti

babaaminizha'an vti chase it about

Paired with: babaaminizha' vta

(detransitive) babaaminizha'ige vai s/he chases things about
babaaminizha'ige vai s/he chases things about

babaaminizhikaw vta chase h/ about

(reciprocal) babaaminizhikodaadiwag vai they chase each other about (detransitive) babaaminizhikaage vai s/he chases people about
babaaminizhikaage vai s/he chases people about

babaaminizhikodaadiwag vai they chase each other about

babaaminizhimo vai s/he goes around in flight, runs around in fear

babaamipon vii snow goes about

babaamise vai s/he flies about

Paired with: babaamise vii

babaamise vii it flies about

Paired with: babaamise vai

babaamishimo vai s/he dances about

babaamishkaa vai s/he paddles about, goes about in a boat

babaamiwane vai s/he carries a pack about

babaamiweba'an vti shove, knock it around (using something)

(derived noun) babaamiweba'igan ni [BL] a hockey puck
babaamiweba'igan ni [BL] a hockey puck

babaamiwebishkan vti kick it about, shoves it about

babaamiwebishkige vai s/he plays soccer; s/he kicks something about

babaamiwidoon vti2 take, carry it about

Paired with: babaamiwizh vta

babaamiwijigaade vii it is carried, taken around (by someone), "they" carry, take it about

babaamiwizh vta take, carry, guide h/ about

Paired with: babaamiwidoon vti2

babaamizi vai s/he does business, goes about on his business

babaamiziwin ni business; responsibility

babaamizii-mashkimod ni a briefcase

babaamiziiwayaan ni a business suit

babaamiziiwinini na a businessman

babaamose vai s/he walks about, takes a stroll

babaamoode vai s/he crawls about, crawls around

babaamoodebatoo vai s/he crawls about fast

babaamoom vta carry h/ about on h/ back

Paired with: babaamoondan vti

babaamoomaawaso vai s/he carries a baby around on h/ back

babaamoomigo vai s/he rides about on horseback

babaamoondan vti carry it about on h/ back

Paired with: babaamoom vta

babaamweweba'idiwag vai they are heard running about together

babaamwewebatoo vai s/he is heard running about, heard running around

babaamwewebizo vai s/he is heard speeding, driving, flying about

babaamwewesagibatoo vai s/he is heard running around on the floor

babaamwewesagidaabii vai s/he, it (animate) is heard dragging something around on the floor

babaamweweshin vai s/he is heard walking about

babaamweweyaadagaa vai s/he is heard swimming about

See also: babaamweweyaadage vai [BL]

babaamweweyaadagaako vai s/he is heard going about on the ice

babaamweweyaadagaazii vai s/he is heard wading around

babaamweweyaadage vai [BL] s/he is heard swimming about

See also: babaamweweyaadagaa vai

babaamweweyaashi vai s/he is heard flying, soaring, sailing about

babegikaadad vii it is slow

Paired with: babegikaadizi vai

babegikaadawinzo vai s/he picks berries slowly

babegikaadaanagidoone vai s/he talks slow

babegikaadendam vai2 s/he thinks slowly, is slow in mental activity

babegikaadizi vai s/he is pokey; s/he is real slow

Paired with: babegikaadad vii

babenag adv tmp a little better, a little more, improving

babig na a flea

(verb of possession) obabigomi vai s/he has a flea or fleas
babigozigwaa vii there is bumpy ice

babigwan ni [BL] a flute

See also: bibigwan ni

babigwanagekozi vai s/he (a tree) has bumpy bark

babigwanwi ni marked shot of moccasin game

babigwaabikad vii it is lumpy (mineral)

Paired with: babigwaabikizi vai

babigwaabikizi vai s/he is bumpy, is lumpy (as something mineral)

Paired with: babigwaabikad vii

babigwaagamin vii it (liquid) is lumpy

babigwegad vii it (sheet-like) is bumpy, is lumpy

See also: babigwegizi vai

babigwegizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is bumpy, is lumpy

Paired with: babigwegad vii

babima'adoo vai s/he keeps following a trail along

babima'azh vta keep tracking h/ along, keep following h/ trail along

babimaadagaa vai s/he swims around here and there

babimaadizi vai s/he keeps living

babimaazhagaame vai s/he goes along on the shore or edge of something

babimishkaa vai

babimose vai s/he walks about, takes a stroll

babimoode vai s/he crawls about here and there

babizindam vai2 s/he keeps listening, listens off and on

babizindaw vta listen to h/ paying close attention

babizowebishkan vti keep tripping on it

babiichii vai s/he puts on h/ moccasins or shoes

babiikoga'waan na [BL]

babiikominagadoon vii they are round (like balls), are globular

babiikwadamon vii it is a bumpy road

babiikwadaasin vii there are snow drifts

babiikwadaawangaa vii there are sand dunes

babiikwadaawangaa'an vii there are sand dunes formed by waves

babiikwadaawangaasin vii there are sand dunes

babiikwadinaa vii there are hills here and there

babiikwakamigaa vii it is rolling ground, bumpy ground

babiikwasin na a boulder

babiikwashkiigaa vii it is a hummocky musekg

babiikwashkoozo vai it (a net) knots up

babiikwaakwadwaagonagin vta make h/ (snow) into snowballs

babiikwaanakwad vii it is a cumulus cloud

babiikwaanakwagoode vii there are cumulus clouds

babiikwaanaamikaa vii the bottom (of a body of water) is rough and bumpy

babiikwaanikwe'o vai s/he combs h/ hair in a wave or waves

babiinitam vai2 s/he doesn't listen, doesn't follow instructions, disregards or disobers instructions

babiinitaw vta don't follow h/ instructions, disregard or disobey h/ instructions

babiinzikawaagan ni a coat, a jacket

See also: biinzikawaagan ni

(verb of possession) obabiinzikawaagani vai s/he has a coat or jacket
babiisibii'an vti write it small, draw it small

(detransitive) babiisibii'ige vai s/he writes small
babiisibii'ige vai s/he writes small

babiiwaabide vai s/he has tiny teeth

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.