Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

de- pv lex enough; sufficient; suitable

de-miijin vti3 eat enough of it

de-wiisini vai s/he has enough to eat, eats enough, is full

See also: debisinii vai

debabi vai s/he has enough room to sit

deba'ookii vai s/he has enough to give away, has enough for everyone

deba'oozh vta have enough to give to or feed h/

debam vta get, grab h/ with the mouth, with the teeth

Paired with: debandan vti

debandan vti get, grab it with the mouth, with the teeth

Paired with: debam vta

debashkina' vta fit h/ , it (animate) in, have enough room for h/, it (animate)

Paired with: debashkinatoon vti2

debashkinatoon vti2 fit it in; have enough room for it

Paired with: debashkina' vta

debashkine vii it fits, adequately holds

Paired with: debashkine vai

debashkine vai s/he fits, adequately holds

Paired with: debashkine vii

debaabam vta have h/ in sight, see h/ at a distance

Paired with: debaabandan vti

debaabaminaagozi vai s/he is in sight, is visible at a distance

Paired with: debaabaminaagwad vii

debaabaminaagwad vii it is in sight, is visible at a distance

Paired with: debaabaminaagozi vai

debaabandan vti have it in sight, see it at a distance

Paired with: debaabam vta

debaabi vai s/he looks into the distance

debibidamaw vta grab, catch, reach and take, get hold of (it) for h/

debibidaw vta grab, catch, reach and take, get hold of (it) for h/

debibidoon vti2 grab, catch, reach and take, get hold of it

Paired with: debibizh vta

(benefactive) debibidaw vta grab, catch, reach and take, get hold of (it) for h/ (detransitive) debibijige vai s/he grabs, catches, reaches and takes, gets hold of things (verb of undergoing) debibijigaade it is grabbed, caught, reached and taken, got hold of (by someone) (verb of undergoing) debibijigaazo vai s/he is grabbed, caught, reached and taken, got hold of (by someone)
debibijigaade it is grabbed, caught, reached and taken, got hold of (by someone)

debibijigaazo vai s/he is grabbed, caught, reached and taken, got hold of (by someone)

debibijige vai s/he grabs, catches, reaches and takes, gets hold of things

debibizh vta grab, catch, reach and take, get hold of h/

Paired with: debibidoon vti2

debibii vii it adequately holds (something liquid); it fits (of liquid)

debigaabawi vai s/he stands high enough to reach

debi' vta satisfy, benefit h/, give h/ something appropriate

debin vta reach for h/

Paired with: debinan vti

debinan vti
  1. reach for it
  2. achieve, accomplish it

Paired with: debin vta

debinaw vta shoot and hit h/ at a distance, reach h/ with a shot

debinaagozi vai s/he is visible at a distance, comes into view

Paired with: debinaagwad vii

debinaagwad vii it is visible at a distance, comes into view

Paired with: debinaagozi vai

debinaak adv man badly; carelessly; any old way

debisachige vai s/he has enough of things

debisa' vta have enough of h/

Paired with: debisatoon vti2

debisatoon vti2 have enough of it

Paired with: debisa' vta

(detransitive) debisachige vai s/he has enough of things
debise vii it is enough, is sufficient

Paired with: debise vai

debise vai s/he is enough, is sufficient, has enough

Paired with: debise vii

debisewendam vai2 s/he feels satisfied, thinks there is enough

debisin vii it fits satisfactorily, has enough space

Paired with: debishin vai

debisinii vai s/he has enough to eat, eats enough, is full

See also: de-wiisini vai

debishin vai s/he, it (animate) fits in (a space), lies fitting in

Paired with: debisin vii

debishkan vti fit it (with foot or body)

Paired with: debishkaw vta

debishkaw vta fit h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: debishkan vti

debitan vti be able to hear it, hear it at a distance, catch the sound of it

Paired with: debitaw vta

debitaw vta be able to hear h/, hear h/ at a distance, catch the sound of h/

Paired with: debitan vti

debitaagozi vai s/he can be heard, is heard at a distance

Paired with: debitaagwad vii

debitaagwad vii it can be heard, is heard at a distance

Paired with: debitaagozi vai

debizi vai s/he is satisfied, has enough, is lucky

debwe vai s/he tells the truth, speaks the truth

debwetam vai2 s/he believes, agrees (with what is heard)

debwetan vti believe it

Paired with: debwetaw vta

debwetaw vta believe, agree with, obey h/

Paired with: debwetan vti

(reciprocal) debwetaadiwag vai they believe each other
debwetaadiwag vai they believe each other

debwetaagozi vai s/he is believable, is believed

Paired with: debwetaagwad vii

debwetaagwad vii it is believable, is believed

Paired with: debwetaagozi vai

debwewebide vii it is heard driving, running, operating in the distance

Paired with: debwewebizo vai

debwewebizo vai s/he is heard driving, running, operating in the distance

Paired with: debwewebide vii

debweweboojige vai s/he is heard sawing at a distance

debwewe'ige vai s/he is heard pounding in the distance

debwewenaamo vai s/he is heard breathing at a distance

debwewesin vii it is heard falling, hitting, or ringing at a distance

Paired with: debweweshin vai

debweweshin vai s/he is heard walking or falling at a distance

Paired with: debwewesin vii

debwewezige vai h/ is heard firing in the distance

debwewidam vai2 s/he is heard speaking or making vocal sounds at a distance

debwewin ni truth

debweyendam vai2 s/he believes, agrees (in mind)

(derived noun) debweyendamowin ni belief, faith
debweyendamowin ni belief, faith

debweyendan vti believe in it

Paired with: debweyenim vta

debweyenim vta believe in h/

Paired with: debweyendan vti

dedibishkoodagaam adv loc on both sides directly across the water

dekaag ni-v ice cream

desabaadan vti sit astride it

Paired with: desabaazh vta

desabaazh vta ride mounted on top of h/; sit astride h/

Paired with: desabaadan vti

desabi vai s/he sits astride, sits straddling something; s/he rides mounted on top

(derived noun) desabiwin ni [BL] a chair, a seat; a saddle (applicative) desabaadan vti sit astride it (applicative) desabaazh vta sit astride h/; ride mounted on top of h/
desabiwin ni [BL] a chair, a seat; a saddle

desa'an vti prop it up to be a level surface

desa'on ni a platform, a bench, a bed in the wigwam

(verb of making) desa'onike vai s/he makes a platform in lodge
desa'onike vai s/he makes a platform in lodge

desakamigaa vii it is flat level ground

desaa vii it is a level surface

desaabaan ni a shelf

(verb of making) desaabaanike vai s/he builds a shelf
desaabaanike vai s/he builds a shelf

desaakwa'igan ni platform or rack for food preservation and storage

desaakwa'oodoon vti2 transport it on top of something on the water

Paired with: desaakwa'oozh vta

desaakwa'oozh vta transport h/ on top of something on the water

Paired with: desaakwa'oodoon vti2

desaandagizi vai s/he (tree) has flat needles

desaasin vii it soars, sails on the level

See also: desaashi vai

desaashi vai s/he soars, sails on the level

Paired with: desaasin vii

desi- pv lex flat

desi-wiiwakwaan ni a hat with full brim

desinaagan ni a dinner plate

desinaaganens ni [BL] a saucer

See also: desinaagaans ni

desinaagaans ni a saucer

See also: desinaaganens ni [BL]

desiiwakwaan ni a hat with a brim

detibised na-v wheel

detiwe pc disc [man's exclamation at making a small mistake]

dewaabide vai s/he has a toothache

dewaabide-mashkiki ni toothache medicine

dewaakigan vai [C] [S] s/he has chest pain; h/ chest aches

See also: dewaakigane vai [N]

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.