Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

da naa pc disc what the heck!, what the hell!, damn! [particle cluster expressing mild disbelief, despair, or disapproval]

da- pv tns future tense (in independent order verbs with no personal preverb and, for some speakers, in unchanged conjunct verbs)

dabasabi vai s/he sits low

dabasadinaa vii it is a low small hill

dabasadowe vai s/he has short thin fur

dabasagoode vii it hangs low

Paired with: dabasagoojin vai

dabasagoodoon vti2 hang it low or lower

Paired with: dabasagoozh vta

dabasagoojin vai s/he hangs low

Paired with: dabasagoode vii

dabasagoozh vta hang h/ low or lower

Paired with: dabasagoodoon vti2

dabasa'am vai2 s/he flies low

dabasajiw ni a low mountain

dabasakamigaa vii it is low ground

dabasakide vii it stands low

Paired with: dabasakizo vai

dabasakizo vai s/he (not a person) stands low

Paired with: dabasakide vii

dabasakii vii it stands low out of the ground

dabasashkad vii it (plant, grass) has a low stalk, is low

dabasaya'ii adv loc down low

dabasaa vii it is low

dabasaabi vai s/he looks down low

dabasaagonagaa vii there is low snow

dabasaakweyaa vii there is a low tree line

dabasaanakwad vii clouds are low

dabasaasin vii it is blown low

Paired with: dabasaashi vai

dabasaashi vai s/he is blown low, soars low

Paired with: dabasaasin vii

dabasaashkaa vii the waves are low

dabasendan vti hold it in low regard

Paired with: dabasenim vta

dabasendaagozi vai s/he is held in low regard

Paired with: dabasendaagwad vii

dabasendaagwad vii it is held in low regard

Paired with: dabasendaagozi vai

dabasenim vta hold h/ in low regard

Paired with: dabasendan vti

dabasibide vii it speeds, flies low

Paired with: dabasibizo vai

dabasibizo vai s/he speeds, flies low

Paired with: dabasibide vii

dabasigaabawi vai s/he is of low stature; s/he stands short

dabasikobaa vii it is low brush

dabasikozo vai h/ gets a short haircut, gets a brush cut

dabasise vai s/he flies low

dabasoonagad vii it (a boat) is low

dabazi vai s/he dodges, ducks; s/he moves aside, gets out of the way

dabazi' vta dodge h/, duck from h/; get out of h/ way

Paired with: dabazi' vta

dabazitoon vti2 get out of the way of it; dodge it, duck from it

Paired with: dabazi' vta

dabazhiish adv loc low

dabinawaa vii it is calm, sheltered from the wind

dabinoo'igan ni a shelter

dabinoo'ige vai s/he makes a wind shelter

dabinooshkan vti shelter it from the wind with the body

Paired with: dabinooshkaw vta

dabinooshkaw vta shelter h/ from the wind with the body

Paired with: dabinooshkan vti

dabwaa- pv tns before

See also: jibwaa- pv tns

dadaakoganzhii vai s/he has short nails or claws

dadaakogaade vai s/he has short legs

dadaakokii vai s/he steps, takes steps

dadaakoningwii vai s/he has short wings

dadaakoninjii vai s/he has short hands or fingers

dadaakooziwag vai they are short

Paired with: dadaakwaawan vii

dadaakwa'amii vai s/he takes short steps

dadaakwanagweyaa vii it has short sleeves

dadaakwaakogaade vai s/he has short legs

dadaakwaakoninjii vai s/he has short hands or fingers

dadaakwaakozide vai s/he has short feet

dadaakwaakozidekawe vai s/he leaves short-footed tracks

dadaakwaanikwe vai s/he has short hair

dadaakwaawan vii they are short

Paired with: dadaakooziwag vai

dadaataba'amaazo vai s/he sings quickly

dadaatabanaamo vai s/he has fast respiration

dadaatabangidaaso vai s/he counts quickly

dadaatabaanagidoon vai [LL] [ML] s/he talks quickly

See also: dadaatabaanagidoone vai [N]

dadaatabaanagidoone vai [N] s/he talks quickly

See also: dadaatabaanagidoon vai [LL] [ML]

dadaatabibii'an vti write it quickly

dadaatabibii'ige vai s/he writes quickly

dadaatabii vai s/he is quick, is fast (at doing something)

dadaatabowe vai s/he speaks or sings quickly

dadibaajimo vai s/he tells stories, reports

See also: dibaajimo vai

dadibaajimotaw vta tell stories to h/

See also: dibaajimotaw vta

dadibaajimoowinini na a storyteller

daga pc disc come on!; please!

See also: indaga pc disc [RL]

dago- pv lex in a place with

dagobiiga'an vti wash it with something else

dagobiiga'ige vai s/he washes something else with h/ laundry

dagobii'an vti include it in writing or drawing

dagode vii it is cooked with something else

Paired with: dagozo vai

dagogaabawi vai s/he stands with others

dagon vii it is in a certain place; it is situated in a certain place

dagon vta add h/ in, mix h/ in

Paired with: dagonan vti

dagonan vti add it in, mix it in

Paired with: dagon vta

(detransitive) dagonige vai s/he adds, mixes things in (verb of undergoing) dagonigaade vii it is added, mixed in (by someone), "they" add, mix it in (verb of undergoing) dagonigaazo vai s/he is added, mixed in, "they" add, mix it in (derived noun) dagonigan ni something added or mixed in, an ingredient
dagonigan ni something added or mixed in, an ingredient

dagonigaade vii it is added, mixed in (by someone), "they" add, mix it in

Paired with: dagonigaazo vai

dagonigaazo vai s/he is added, mixed in, "they" add, mix it in

Paired with: dagonigaade vii

dagonige vai s/he adds, mixes things in

dagosidoon vti2 put it with something else

dagoshin vai s/he arrives, gets somewhere

Paired with: dagoshinoomagad vii See also: dagwishin vai

dagoshinoomagad vii it arrives

Paired with: dagoshin vai

dagoz vta cook h/ with something else

Paired with: dagozan vti

dagozan vti cook it with something else

Paired with: dagoz vta

(verb of undergoing) dagozigaade vii it is added to cook (verb of undergoing) dagozigaazo vai s/he is added to cook
dagozekwaan ni a flavoring ingredient such as vanilla extract

dagozigaade vii it is added to cook

dagozigaazo vai s/he is added to cook

dagozo vai s/he is cooked with something else

Paired with: dagode vii

dagozwi vta [NI]

► dagoz vta

dagwabi vai s/he sits with others

dagwagim vta count h/ in, include h/

Paired with: dagwagindan vti

dagwagindan vti count it in, include it

Paired with: dagwagim vta

dagwaginde vii it is included, is counted in

Paired with: dagwaginzo vai

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.

  • Audio recordings
  • Images
  • Video
  • Documents

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.