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babiiwaakoziwag vai they (animate; stick-like) are small

Paired with: babiiwaakwadoon vii

babiiwaakwadoon vii they (stick-like) are small

Paired with: babiiwaakoziwag vai

babiiwaawan vii they are tiny

Paired with: babiiwizhiinyiwag vai

babiiwiminagadoon vii they are tiny (as something ball-like)

Paired with: babiiwiminagiziwag vai

babiiwiminagiziwag vai they are tiny (as something ball-like)

Paired with: babiiwiminagadoon vii

babiiwinike vai s/he has small arms; s/he has thin arms

babiiwininjii vai s/he has tiny hands

babiiwishkiinzhigwe vai s/he has small eyes

babiiwitawage vai s/he has tiny ears

babiiwizhenyiwag vai they are small, are tiny

babiiwizide vai s/he has tiny feet

babiiwizidekawe vai s/he leaves tiny-footed tracks

babiiwizhiinyiwag vai they are tiny

Paired with: babiiwaawan vii

babiizigaakiz vta curl h/ hair (by heat)

babiizigaakizan vti curl it (by heat)

Paired with: babiizigaakiz vta

babiizigaakizigan ni a curling iron

babiizigaakizige vai h/ hair is curled (by heat)

babiizigaakizigewigamig ni a beauty parlor, a hair dressing salon

babiizigaakizigewikwe na a (female) hairdresser

babiizigaakizigewinini na a (male) hairdresser

babiizigaakizo vai s/he curls h/ hair

(derived noun) babiizigaakizon ni a curler
babiizigaakizon ni a curler

babiizigaanikwe vai s/he has curly hair

babiizigindibe vai s/he has curly hair

babiizigishkaa vii it (sheet-like) curls up, crinkles

babiizigitigwaane vai s/he has curly hair

babiizigiigad vii it (sheet-like) is crinkled, is crumpled

Paired with: babiizigiigizi vai

babiizigiigizi vai s/he (sheet-like) is crinkled, is crumpled

Paired with: babiizigiigad vii

badagoshkan vti cover it with h/ body, lie protectively on it

Paired with: badagoshkaw vta

badagoshkaw vta cover h/ with body, lie protectively on h/

Paired with: badagoshkan vti

badagwana' vta cover h/

Paired with: badagwana'an vti

badagwana'an vti cover it

Paired with: badagwana' vta

(detransitive) badagwana'ige vai s/he covers things (verb of undergoing) badagwana'igaade vii it is covered (by someone), "they" cover it (verb of undergoing) badagwana'igaazo vai s/he is covered (by someone), "they" cover h/ badagwana'igan ni a cover, a tarpaulin
badagwana'igan ni a cover, a tarpaulin

badagwana'igaade vii it is covered (by someone), "they" cover it

Paired with: badagwana'igaazo vai

badagwana'igaazo vai s/he is covered (by someone), "they" cover h/

Paired with: badagwana'igaade vii

badagwana'ige vai s/he covers things

badagwana'wi vta [BL]

► badagwana' vta

badagwiingweshin vai s/he lies with h/ face covered

badaka' vta
  1. stick h/ with something sharp, prick h/, use a fork on h/
  2. give h/ an injection, a shot

Paired with: badaka'an vti

(reflexive) badaka'odizo vai s/he sticks, pricks h/ self (with something sharp); s/he gives h/self an injection
badaka'an vti stick it (with something sharp), prick it, use a fork on it

Paired with: badaka' vta

(detransitive) badaka'ige vai s/he sticks something in things, pricks things (derived noun) badaka'igan ni a fork
badaka'igan ni a fork

badaka'ige vai s/he sticks something in things, pricks things

badaka'odizo vai s/he sticks, pricks h/ self (with something sharp); s/he gives h/self an injection

badaka'wi vta [NI]

► badaka' vta

badakakiiwebinan vti throw it sticking into the ground

badakashka'igan ni a pitchfork

badakaakose vai it (animate) sticks in wood

Paired with: badakaakose vii

badakaakose vii it sticks in wood

Paired with: badakaakose vai

badakaakosidoon vti2 stick it in wood

Paired with: badakaakoshim vta

badakaakosin vii it sticks in wood

Paired with: badakaakoshin vai

badakaakoshim vta stick h/ in wood

Paired with: badakaakosidoon vti2

badakaakoshin vai s/he sticks in wood

Paired with: badakaakosin vii

badakibidoon vti2 hook, grab onto it (with something sharp)

Paired with: badakibizh vta

(detransitive) badakibijige vai s/he hooks something
badakibijige vai s/he hooks something

badakibine'o vai s/he sticks a feather in h/ (own) hair or hat

badakibine'on na a plume, a single feather ornament worn in the hair

badakibizh vta hook, grab onto h/ (with something sharp)

Paired with: badakibidoon vti2

badakide vii it sticks up, stands, stands up (from a surface), is planted in

badakidoon vti2 erect, plant it; set it up

Paired with: badakizh vta

badakidoondaneshin vai s/he steps on something sharp and pricks h/ heel

badakiga'igan ni a pickaroon

badakijigan ni a post; a cornerpost

badakijin vai s/he gets pricked

badakijii'iganaak ni a cribbage board

badakijii'igewataadiwag vai [BL] they play cribbage

badakijii'igewataadiwin ni [BL] cribbage

badakininjiishin vai h/ hand is stuck by something sharp

badakise vai s/he falls on or hits something and sticks into it

Paired with: badakise vii

badakise vii it falls on or hits something and sticks into it

Paired with: badakise vai

badakisidoon vti2 stick, set it in something; plant it in the ground

Paired with: badakishim vta

(detransitive) badakisijige vai s/he sticks, sets things in something; plants things in the ground (verb of undergoing) badakisijigaade vii it is stuck in something, planted in the ground (by someone) (verb of undergoing) badakisijigaazo vai s/he is stuck in something, planted in the ground (by someone)
badakisijigaade vii it is stuck in something, planted in the ground (by someone)

badakisijigaazo vai s/he is stuck in something, planted in the ground (by someone)

badakisijige vai s/he sticks, sets things in something; plants things in the ground

badakisin vii it sticks into something, sticks out of something

Paired with: badakishin vai

badakishim vta stick, set h/ in something; plant h/ in the ground

Paired with: badakisidoon vti2

badakishin vai s/he sticks into, sticks out of something

Paired with: badakisin vii

badakizh vta erect, plant h/; set h/ up

Paired with: badakidoon vti2

badakizideshin vai s/he steps on something sharp which sticks in h/ foot

badakizo vai s/he sticks up, stands up (from a surface), is planted in

Paired with: badakide vii

bagaka'amaazo vai s/he sings clearly

bagakaabam vta see h/ clearly, spot h/ right away

Paired with: bagakaabandan vti

bagakaaban vii it is daybreak, is light at dawn

bagakaabandan vti see it clearly, spot it right away

Paired with: bagakaabam vta

bagakaabi vai s/he sees clearly

bagakaagamin vii it (a liquid) is clear and bright

bagakaagonagaa vii there is bright snow

bagakaanzhe vai s/he (sun or moon) shines brightly

bagakaasige vai s/he (sun or moon) shines brightly

bagakaate vii it has a bright light, shines brightly

bagakaatese vii it flashes brightly

bagakendam vai2 s/he has a clear mind, is aware

bagaki- pv lex bright

bagaki-ozaawaa vii it is bright yellow

Paired with: bagaki-ozaawizi vai

bagaki-ozaawaakigane vai s/he has a bright yellow chest, is yellow-breasted

bagaki-ozaawegad vii [BL] it is yellow (as something sheet-like)

bagaki-ozaawi-miigwan na a yellow feather

bagaki-ozaawigwan na a yellow feather

bagaki-ozaawigwane vai [BL] s/he (a bird) has yellow feathers

bagaki-ozaawikoozhe vai s/he has a bright yellow bill

bagaki-ozaawitigwaane vai [BL]
  1. s/he has a yellow head
  2. s/he has blond hair

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.