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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

booziginan vti [BL] grease, oil it [wood]

boozigwaashkwani vai s/he jumps in or on (a vehicle or boat, jumps aboard

boozi' vta load h/ on (a vehicle or boat), give a ride to h/

Paired with: boozitoon vti2

boozikinaagan ni a bowl

boozin vta [BL] annoint h/; grease, lubricate h/ (by hand)

Paired with: boozinan vti [BL]

boozinan vti [BL] annoint it; grease, lubricate it (by hand)

Paired with: boozin vta [BL]

boozinaazha' vta tell h/ to get in or on (a vehicle or boat); tell h/ to go aboard

boozinodaw vta catch a ride with h/

boozitamaw vta load (it) with cargo for h/

See also: boozitaw vta

boozitaw vta load (it) with cargo for h/

See also: boozitamaw vta

boozitaaso vai s/he loads cargo

boozitoon vti2 load it on (as cargo on a vehicle or boat); upload it (on a computer)

Paired with: boozi' vta

(benefactive) boozitamaw vta load (it) with cargo for h/ (verb of undergoing) boozichigaade vii it is loaded on (by someone), "they" load it on; it is put on board (by someone), "they" put in on board (verb of undergoing) boozichigaazo vai s/he is loaded on (by someone), "they" load h/ on; s/he is put on board (by someone), "they" put h/ on board
boozhoo pc interj greetings!; hello!

boozhoo' vta say hello to h/; send h/ a greeting

boozwebin vta throw h/ aboard

Paired with: boozwebinan vti

boozwebinan vti throw it aboard

Paired with: boozwebin vta

(detransitive) boozwebinige vai s/he throws things aboard
boozwebinige vai s/he throws things aboard

bwaa- pv tns not able to; not before

bwaakadinigaazod na-v a doughnut

bwaam vta don't do or refuse to do what h/ says or asks

bwaan na a Dakota

bwaanawichige vai s/he is unable (to do something)

bwaanawi' vta be unable to do something to or manage h/

Paired with: bwaanawitoon vti2

bwaanawi'ewizi vai s/he is unable to do something or unable to get someplace

bwaanawi'o vai s/he is stuck; s/he is unable to do something

bwaanawitoon vti2 be unable to do or manage it

Paired with: bwaanawi' vta

(detransitive) bwaanawichige vai s/he is unable (to do something)
bwaanikwe na a Dakota woman

bwaanimo vai s/he speaks Dakota

(applicative) bwaanimotaw vta speak Dakota to h/
bwaanimotaw vta speak Dakota to h/

bwaanimowin ni the Dakota language

bwaaniwi vai s/he is a Dakota

bwaanzhii-nagamo vai s/he sings war songs

bwaanzhii-niimi vai s/he dances a war dance

bwaanzhii-niimi'idiwag vai they dance a war dance

bwaanzhii-niimi'idiwin ni a war dance

bwaanzhiiwi'o vai s/he wears dance regalia

bwaanzhiiwi'on ni dance regalia

bwaawane vai s/he is hardly able to carry a pack

bwaawaakide vii it doesn't burn, is unable to burn

Paired with: bwaawaakizo vai

bwaawaakiz vta be unable to burn, unable to light h/

Paired with: bwaawaakizan vti

bwaawaakizan vti be unable to burn, unable to light it

Paired with: bwaawaakiz vta

bwaawaakizo vai s/he doesn't burn, is unable to burn

Paired with: bwaawaakide vii

bwaawibide vii it is unable to drive, unable to run or operate

Paired with: bwaawibizo vai

bwaawibidoon vti2 be unable to pull it; have trouble pulling it

Paired with: bwaawibizh vta

bwaawibizh vta be unable to pull h/; have trouble pulling h/

Paired with: bwaawibidoon vti2

bwaawibizo vai s/he is unable to drive, unable to run or operate

Paired with: bwaawibide vii

bwaawidaabaadan vti be unable to drag or pull it; have trouble dragging or pulling it

Paired with: bwaawidaabaazh vta

bwaawidaabaazh vta be unable to drag or pull h/; have trouble dragging or pulling h/

Paired with: bwaawidaabaadan vti

bwaawidaabii vai s/he is unable to pull a load, has trouble pulling a load

bwaawigi vai s/he is unable to grow

Paired with: bwaawigin vii

bwaawigin vii it is unable to grow

Paired with: bwaawigi vai

bwaawin vta be unable to handle, hold or lift h/; have trouble handling, holding or lifting h/

Paired with: bwaawinan vti

bwaawinadoon vti2 be unable to kill it

Paired with: bwaawinazh vta

bwaawinan vti be unable to handle, hold or lift it; have trouble handling, holding or lifting it

Paired with: bwaawin vta

bwaawinazh vta be unable to kill h/; have trouble killing h/

Paired with: bwaawinadoon vti2

bwaawinige vai s/he is unable to carry a load on the shoulder; s/he has trouble carrying a load on the shoulder

bwaawishkaa vai s/he hardly moves, won't budge

Paired with: bwaawishkaa vii

bwaawishkaa vii it hardly moves, won't budge

Paired with: bwaawishkaa vai

bwaawizh vta be unable to cut h/

Paired with: bwaawizhan vti

bwaawizhan vti be unable to cut it

Paired with: bwaawizh vta

bwaawiiwi vai s/he is unable to budge something

bwaawoom vta be unable to carry h/ on the back; have trouble carrying h/ on the back

Paired with: bwaawoondan vti

bwaawoondan vti be unable to carry it on the back; have trouble carrying it on the back

Paired with: bwaawoom vta

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.