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bagooneshin vai s/he puts a hole in h/ boat by hitting something

bagwadakamig adv loc in the wilderness

bagwa' vta patch h/

Paired with: bagwa'an vti

bagwa'akizine vai s/he mends shoes

bagwa'amaw vta patch(it) for h/

bagwa'an vti patch it

Paired with: bagwa' vta

(benefactive) bagwa'amaw vta patch(it) for h/ (detransitive) bagwa'ige vai s/he patches things (verb of undergoing) bagwa'igaade vii it is patched (by someone), "they" patch it (verb of undergoing) bagwa'igaazo vai s/he is patched (by someone), "they" patch h/; s/he wears patches bagwa'igan ni a patch
bagwa'asabii vai s/he patches a net

bagwa'igan ni a patch

bagwa'igaade vii it is patched (by someone), "they" patch it

bagwa'igaazo vai s/he is patched (by someone), "they" patch h/; s/he wears patches

bagwa'ige vai s/he patches things

bagwaj adv loc in the wilderness

bagwaji- pv lex wild

bagwajipin na a wild potato

bagwakizineshin vai s/he wears a hole in h/ shoe or moccasin

bagwam vta chew a hole in h/

Paired with: bagwandan vti

bagwana adv man anyhow; at random

bagwanad vii it has a hole from rotting

bagwanawizi vai s/he is ignorant, is stupid, is dumb

bagwandan vti chew a hole in it

Paired with: bagwam vta

(detransitive) bagwanjige vai s/he chews a hole in something
bagwanem vta chew a hole in h/

Paired with: bagwanendan vti

bagwanendan vti chew a hole in it

Paired with: bagwanem vta

bagwanjige vai s/he chews a hole in something

bagwanom vta tell about h/ in h/ absence

bagwaabikishkaa vii it (something mineral or metal) has a hole, gets a hole (in it)

bagwaakide vii it has a hole burned in it

Paired with: bagwaakizo vai

bagwaakiz vta burn a hole in h/

Paired with: bagwaakizan vti

bagwaakizan vti burn a hole in it

Paired with: bagwaakiz vta

bagwaakizo vai s/he has a hole burned in h/

Paired with: bagwaakide vii

bagwaanegamig ni [BL] a tent

See also: bagiwaanegamig ni [BL]

bagwaasin vii it is blown open (with a hole in it)

Paired with: bagwaashi vai

bagwaashi vai s/he is blown open (with a hole in h/)

Paired with: bagwaasin vii

bagwegad vii it (something sheet-like) has a hole in it

Paired with: bagwegizi vai

bagwega' vta make a hole in it (animate, sheet-like) with something

Paired with: bagwega'an vti

bagwega'an vti make hole in it (sheet-like) with something

Paired with: bagwega' vta ; bagwega'wi vta [NI]

bagwega'wi vta [NI]

► bagwega' vta

bagwegisin vii it (sheet-like) gets a hole in it (from hitting something)

bagwegishkaa vai it (animate, sheet-like) has a hole, gets a hole (in it)

Paired with: bagwegishkaa vii

bagwegishkaa vii it (sheet-like) has a hole, gets a hole (in it)

Paired with: bagwegishkaa vai

bagwegizh vta cut a hole in it (animate, sheet-like)

Paired with: bagwegizhan vti

bagwegizhan vti cut a hole in it (sheet-like)

Paired with: bagwegizh vta ; bagwegizhwi vta [NI]

bagwegizi vai s/he (something sheet-like) has a hole in h/

Paired with: bagwegad vii

bagwegizhwi vta [NI]

► bagwegizh vta

bajiba'am vai2 s/he has h/ foot go through something

bajiba'ashkiiga'am vai2 s/he has h/ foot go through the top of the muskeg

bajiishka'ogaan ni a tipi, a lodge with a pointed top

bajiishkaa vii it is pointed

Paired with: bajiishkizi vai

bajiishkaabikad vii [MN] it is pointed (as something mineral)

Paired with: bajiishkaabikizi vai

bajiishkaabikizi vai s/he is pointed (as something mineral)

Paired with: bajiishkaabikad vii [MN]

bajiishkiboodoon vti2 saw, grind it to a point

Paired with: bajiishkiboozh vta

bajiishkiboozh vta saw, grind h/ to a point

Paired with: bajiishkiboodoon vti2

bajiishkidaamikane vai s/he has a pointed chin

bajiishkidooneni vai s/he puckers h/ lips

bajiishkiga' vta chop h/ pointed

Paired with: bajiishkiga'an vti

bajiishkiga'an vti chop it pointed

Paired with: bajiishkiga' vta

bajiishkiganzhii vai s/he has pointed nails or claws or talons

bajiishkijaane vai s/he has a pointed nose

bajiishkikodan vti carve it so it is pointed, sharpen it to a point (with a blade)

Paired with: bajiishkikozh vta

bajiishkikode vii it is carved pointed, is sharpened to a point

Paired with: bajiishkikozo vai

bajiishkikozh vta carve h/ so s/he is pointed, sharpen h/ to a point (with a blade)

Paired with: bajiishkikodan vti

bajiishkikozo vai s/he is carved pointed, is sharpened to a point

Paired with: bajiishkikode vii

bajiishkizh vta cut h/ to a point

Paired with: bajiishkizhan vti

bajiishkizhan vti cut it (sheet-like) pointed

Paired with: bajiishkizh vta

bajiishkizi vai s/he is pointed

Paired with: bajiishkaa vii

bakada' vta break it (animate, something like a string) (using a stick or tool); snap it (animate) (using a stick or tool)

Paired with: bakada'an vti

bakada'an vti break it (something like a string) (using a stick or tool); snap it (using a stick or tool)

Paired with: bakada' vta

bakade vai
  1. s/he is hungry
  2. s/he is thin, is skinny [N]

(causative) bakade' vta make h/ hungry; starve h/ (verb of pretending) bakadekaazo vai s/he pretends to be hungry
bakade' vta make h/ hungry; starve h/

bakadekaazo vai s/he pretends to be hungry

bakam vta bite h/ through (e.g., something string-like)

Paired with: bakandan vti

(reflexive) bakandizo vai s/he chews h/self free of a harness or leash
bakandan vti bite it (something string-like) through

Paired with: bakam vta

bakandizo vai s/he chews h/self free of a harness or leash

bakazhaawe vai s/he cleans fish

bakaaboode vii it (something string-like) breaks in current

bakaakadozo vai (of a person) s/he is thin, is skinny

bakaakide vii it is parted by heat or fire

Paired with: bakaakizo vai

bakaakizo vai s/he is parted by heat or fire

Paired with: bakaakide vii

bakaan adv man different

bakaanad vii it is different

Paired with: bakaanizi vai

bakaanige vai she is secluded at first menses

bakaanimaagozi vai s/he smells different

Paired with: bakaanimaagwad vii

bakaanimaagwad vii it smells different

Paired with: bakaanimaagozi vai

bakaaninaagozi vai s/he looks different

Paired with: bakaaninaagwad vii

bakaaninaagwad vii it looks different

Paired with: bakaaninaagozi vai

bakaanipogozi vai s/he tastes different

Paired with: bakaanipogwad vii

bakaanipogwad vii it tastes different

Paired with: bakaanipogozi vai

bakaanitaagozi vai s/he sounds different

Paired with: bakaanitaagwad vii

bakaanitaagwad vii it sounds different

Paired with: bakaanitaagozi vai

bakaanizi vai s/he is different

Paired with: bakaanad vii

bakaasin vii it snaps in the wind

Paired with: bakaashi vai

bakaashi vai s/he snaps in the wind

Paired with: bakaasin vii

bake vai s/he goes off to the side

bakebatoo vai s/he runs off to the side, off the main path

bakebide vii it drives off to the side; it speeds, drives, falls off to the side, off the main path

Paired with: bakebizo vai

bakebizo vai s/he speeds, drives, falls off to the side, off the main path

Paired with: bakebide vii

bakedaabii vai s/he drags or pulls a load off to the the side, off the main path

bakediyeni vai s/he moves h/ butt to the side

bakegamaa vii lake goes off from another

bakegaabawi vai s/he stands or steps off to the the side, off the main path

bakegwaashkwani vai s/he jumps off to the side, off the main path

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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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.