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biidaasin vii it is blown here (by the wind); sails, soars here

Paired with: biidaashi vai

biidaashi vai s/he is blown here (by the wind); sails, soars here

Paired with: biidaasin vii

biidaashkaa vii waves come here

biidaawadoon vti2 haul it here

Paired with: biidaawazh vta

(detransitive) biidaawajige vai s/he hauls things here
biidaawajige vai s/he hauls things here

biidaawanidiwag vai they travel here in a group

biidaawazh vta haul h/ here

Paired with: biidaawadoon vti2

(reciprocal) biidaawanidiwag vai they travel here in a group
biidaazhagaame vai s/he comes along shore

biidaazhagaamebatoo vai s/he runs here along the shore

biidaazakonebizo vai s/he drives here with a light

biidaazakonenjige vai s/he comes with a light

biidaazakwanenjige vai s/he comes with a light

biidikwewe vai he brings a wife home

biidin vta hand h/ over (here)

Paired with: biidinan vti

biidinamaw vta hand (it) over (here) to h/

biidinan vti hand it over (here)

Paired with: biidin vta

(benefactive) biidinamaw vta hand (it) over (here) to h/
biidowe vai h/ voice can be heard coming (some distance) = you can hear h/ voice coming (some distance)

biidoobii vai s/he brings water (or other liquid)

biidoode vai s/he crawls here

biidoom vta bring h/ on back

Paired with: biidoondan vti

biidoomaawaso vai s/he carries a baby here on h/ back

biidoomigo vai s/he rides here on horseback

biidoon vti2 bring it

Paired with: biizh vta

(benefactive) biidamaw vta bring something for h/
(detransitive) biidamaage vai s/he brings (it) for (people)
(benefactive) biidaw vta bring (it) for h/ (verb of undergoing) biijigaazo vai s/he is brought (by someone), "they" bring h/ (verb of undergoing) biijigaade vii it is brought (by someone), "they" bring it
biidoondan vti bring it on back

Paired with: biidoom vta

biidweweba'idiwag vai they are heard coming together

biidwewebatoo vai s/he is heard running here

biidwewebide vii it is heard speeding. driving, flying here

Paired with: biidwewebizo vai

biidwewebizo vai s/he is heard speeding, driving, flying here

Paired with: biidwewebide vii

biidwewebiisaa vii [MN] rain is heard coming

See also: biidwewebiisaan vii

biidwewebiisaan vii rain is heard coming

See also: biidwewebiisaa vii [MN]

biidwewegamakwazhiwe vai s/he is heard paddling here

biidwewejiwan vii it is heard flowing this way, here

biidwewekamigibatoo vai s/he is heard running here on the ground

biidwewekamigishin vai s/he is heard coming stepping on the ground

biidwewenaamo vai s/he is heard coming breathing hard

biidwewesagibatoo vai s/he is heard running here on the floor

biidwewesagishin vai s/he is heard stepping here on floor

biidweweshin vai s/he is heard walking here

biidwewetoo vai s/he comes making vocal noise

biidweweyaadagaa vai s/he is heard swimming here

See also: bimweweyaadage vai [BL]

biidweweyaadagaako vai s/he is heard coming here on the ice

biidweweyaadagaazii vai s/he is heard wading here

biidweweyaadage vai [BL] s/he is heard swimming here

See also: biidweweyaadagaa vai

biidweweyaagone vai s/he is heard coming in the snow

biidweweyaagonebatoo vai s/he is heard running here in snow

biidweweyaagoneshin vai s/he is heard walking here in the snow

biidweweyaagoneshkige vai s/he is heard trudging here through the snow

biidweweyaakwaji vai s/he is heard coming getting hung up in the bushes

biidweweyaandawe vai s/he is heard climbing here

biidweweyaanimad vii the wind is heard coming

biidwewidam vai2 s/he comes calling, comes sounding; s/he comes speaking

biig na a spade suite card

biigijiisag ni decayed wood

(verb of being) biigijiisagowan vii it is rotten wood, is punk
biigijiisagad vii it (wood) is rotten, falls to pieces; it is punky wood

Paired with: biigijiisagizi vai

biigijiisagizi vai s/he (board, tree) is rotten, falls to pieces

Paired with: biigijiisagad vii

biigijiisagowan vii it is rotten wood, is punk

biigiskaadendam vai2 s/he is bored, is not interested, is listless, is depressed

biigiskaadendan vti not be interested in it, find it boring

Paired with: biigiskaadenim vta

biigiskaadendaagozi vai s/he is boring

Paired with: biigiskaadendaagwad vii

biigiskaadendaagwad vii it is boring

Paired with: biigiskaadendaagozi vai

biigiskaadenim vta find h/ boring; not be interested in h/ company

Paired with: biigiskaadendan vti

biigizawakwad vii it is hazy; there are scattered clouds

biigizawaabam vta see h/ indistinctly, have a blurry view of h/

Paired with: biigizawaabandan vti

biigizawaabandan vti see it indistinctly, see it as blurry

Paired with: biigizawaabam vta

biigizawaabi vai s/he has blurry vision

biigizawinam vai2 s/he has blurry vision

biigizawinan vti see it indistinctly, see it as blurry

Paired with: biigizawinaw vta

biigizawinaw vta see h/ indistinctly, see h/ as blurry

Paired with: biigizawinan vti

biigizawinaagozi vai s/he can't be seen well, is blurry

Paired with: biigizawinaagwad vii

biigizawinaagwad vii it can't be seen well, is blurry

Paired with: biigizawinaagozi vai

biigobidoon vti2 rip, tear it up

Paired with: biigobizh vta

(detransitive) biigobijige vai s/he tears, rips things (passive) biigobijigaade vii it is torn, ripped (by someone), "they" tear, rip it (passive) biigobijigaazo vai s/he is torn, ripped (by someone), "they" tear, rip h/
biigobijigaade vii it is torn, ripped (by someone), "they" tear, rip it

Paired with: biigobijigaazo vai

biigobijigaazo vai s/he is torn, ripped (by someone), "they" tear, rip h/

Paired with: biigobijigaade vii

biigobijige vai s/he tears, rips things

biigobizh vta rip, tear h/ up

Paired with: biigobidoon vti2

biigoboode vii it breaks by abrasion

Paired with: biigoboozo vai

biigoboodoon vti2 break it by abrasion (sawing, filing, grinding)

Paired with: biigoboozh vta

biigoboozh vta break h/ by abrasion (sawing, filing, grinding)

Paired with: biigoboodoon vti2

biigoboozo vai s/he breaks by abrasion

Paired with: biigoboode vii

biigodaabaane vai s/he has a broken-down car

biigode vii it breaks by heat

Paired with: biigozo vai

biigoganaam vta damage, ruin, break h/ by hitting

Paired with: biigoganaandan vti

biigoganaandan vti damage, ruin, break it by hitting

Paired with: biigoganaam vta

biigojiise vii it ruptures; it tears open

biigojiishkaa vai s/he bursts open

Paired with: biigojiishkaa vii

biigojiishkaa vii it bursts open

Paired with: biigojiishkaa vai

biigokokwe'owesi na a whip-poor-will

[
Caprimulgus vociferus
]

biigon vta break h/ (by hand); dismantle h/

Paired with: biigonan vti

biigonan vti break it (by hand); dismantle it

Paired with: biigon vta

biigose vii it goes to pieces, breaks down

Paired with: biigose vai

biigose vai s/he goes to pieces, breaks down

Paired with: biigose vii

biigosidoon vti2 break it (by dropping); smash it

Paired with: biigoshim vta

(detransitive) biigosijige vai s/he breaks things (by dropping)
biigosijige vai s/he breaks things (by dropping)

biigosin vii it breaks (on impact)

Paired with: biigoshin vai

biigoshim vta break h/ (by dropping); smash h/

Paired with: biigosidoon vti2

biigoshin vai s/he breaks (on impact)

Paired with: biigosin vii

biigoshkaw vta break, damage h/ with body or feet

biigoshkaa vii it breaks, is broken

Paired with: biigoshkaa vai

biigoshkaa vai
  1. s/he breaks, is broken
  2. s/he is broke (out of money)

Paired with: biigoshkaa vii

biigozh vta cut up h/ with blade

Paired with: biigozhan vti

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.