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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

gijigwaazh vta remove h/ with something sharp

Paired with: gijigwaadan vti

gijikonayezigan na hominy

gijikonayeziganaaboo ni hominey soup

gijiminagishkan vti thresh it by dancing on it

gijinagizhiin vta gut, disembowel h/

gijipizo vai s/he is belted

gijipizon ni a belt
gijipizon ni a belt

gijipizonaabik ni a belt buckle

gijipizonens ni a fan belt

gijiid nid your anus

gijiigibidoon vti2 pull it (sheet-like) off

Paired with: gijiigibizh vta

gijiigibizh vta skin h/ (a rabbit)

Paired with: gijiigibidoon vti2

gijiingwan nad your lap; your (front of) thigh

gikachigan ni something pawned, hocked

gikachigaade vii it is pawned, hocked (by someone), "they" pawn, hock it

gikachigaazo vai s/he is pawned, hocked (be someone), "they" pawn, hock h/

gikachige vai s/he pawns, hocks things

gikakwan nid your shin

gikan nid your bone

gikas vta pawn, hock h/

See also: gikatoon vti2

gikataw vta [S] pawn, hock (it) for h/

gikatig nid your forhead, brow

gikatoon vti2 pawn, hock it

Paired with: gikas vta

(detransitive) gikachige vai s/he pawns, hocks things (benefactive) gikataw vta [S] pawn, hock (it) for h/ (derived noun) gikachigan ni something pawned, hocked (verb of undergoing) gikachigaade vii it is pawned, hocked (by someone), "they" pawn, hock it
gikaa vai s/he is elderly, is old, is aged

(derived noun) gikaawin old age
gikaabam vta select, pick h/ using vision

See also: gikaabandan vti

gikaabandan vti select, pick it by using vision

Paired with: gikaabam vta

(detransitive) gikaabanjige vai s/he selects, picks thing by using vision
gikaabanjige vai s/he selects, picks thing by using vision

gikaad nid your leg

gikaakigan nid your chest

gikaawigamig ni elders' residence, nursing home

gikaawin old age

gikendam vai2 s/he knows

(derived noun) gikendamowin ni knowledge
gikendamowin ni knowledge

gikendan vti know it, know about it, find it out, realize it

Paired with: gikenim vta

(detransitive) gikenjige vai s/he knows things
gikendaagozi vai s/he is known (by someone), "they" know h/

Paired with: gikendaagwad vii

gikendaagwad vii it is known (by someone), "they" know it

Paired with: gikendaagozi vai

gikendaaso vai s/he is knows, is smart, is intelligent, is educated

(derived noun) gikendaasowin ni intelligence; knowledge
gikendaasowin ni intelligence; knowledge

gikenim vta know h/, know about h/, find out about h/, realize of h/

(reciprocal) gikenindiwag vai they know each other (reflexive) gikenindizo vai s/he knows h/ self
gikenindiwag vai they know each other

gikenindizo vai s/he knows h/ self

gikenjige vai s/he knows things

gikidin nad your vulva

gikinawaabam vta learn by observation of h/; imitate h/

gikinawaabi vai s/he learns by observation

gikinawaadakizo vai it (animate) stands as a marker

gikinawaaj adv man noticible, recognizable, having a distinct appearance

gikinawaajibii'an vti mark it; trace it

(detransitive) gikinawaajibii'ige vai s/he marks things (verb of undergoing) gikinawaajibii'igaade vii it is marked (by someone), "they" mark it; it is traced by someone, "they" trace it
gikinawaajibii'igan ni a sign, a marker; an identifying number: a street address or house number, a phone number

gikinawaajibii'igaade vii it is marked (by someone), "they" mark it; it is traced by someone, "they" trace it

gikinawaajibii'ige vai s/he marks things

gikinawaajichigaade vii it is marked (by someone), "they" mark it

gikinawaajichigaazo vai s/he is marked (by someone), "they" mark h/

gikinawaajichige vai s/he marks things

gikinawaaji' vta mark h/

Paired with: gikinawaajitoon vti2

gikinawaajitamaw vta mark (it) for h/

gikinawaajitoon vti2 mark it

Paired with: gikinawaaji' vta

(detransitive) gikinawaajichige vai s/he marks things (benefactive) gikinawaajitamaw vta mark (it) for h/ (verb of undergoing) gikinawaajichigaade vii it is marked (by someone), "they" mark it (verb of undergoing) gikinawaajichigaazo vai s/he is marked (by someone), "they" mark h/
gikinjigwen vta hug, embrace h/

(reciprocal) gikinjigwenidiwag vai they hug, embrace
gikinjigwenidiwag vai they hug, embrace

gikinoo'amaw vta teach (it) to h/, let h/ know (it)

(detransitive) gikinoo'amaage vai s/he teaches (reflexive) gikinoo'amaadizo vai s/he teaches h/ self (reciprocal) gikinoo'amaadiwag vai they teach each other (derived noun) gikinoo'amaagan na a student
gikinoo'amaadiwag vai they teach each other

gikinoo'amaadiwin ni teaching, education

gikinoo'amaadizo vai s/he teaches h/ self

gikinoo'amaadii-mazina'igan ni a schoolbook

gikinoo'amaadiiwidaabaan na [BL] a school bus

gikinoo'amaadiiwigamig ni a school

gikinoo'amaagan na a student

gikinoo'amaage vai s/he teaches

gikinoo'amaagewikwe na a teacher (female)

gikinoo'amaagewinini na a teacher (male)

gikinoo'amaagewininiiwi vai he is a teacher

gikinoo'amaagozi vai s/he is taught, is instructed, goes to school

gikinoo'amaagoowin ni education or teaching (that one receives); a lesson

gikinoonowagad vii a year passes

gikinoonowin adv tmp a year

► daso-gikinoonowin adv tmp

gikinootaw vta imitate what h/ says or sounds like, follow h/ instructions

gikiwe'on ni a flag

(verb of making) gikiwe'onike vai s/he makes a flag
gikiwe'onaatig ni a flagpole

gikiwe'onike vai s/he makes a flag

gikon nid your liver

gikonaas nid your blanket

gikwegan nid your neck

gimaamaa nad your mother

gimisad nid your belly, stomach

gimisenh nad your older sister

gimishoome nad your uncle (parallel uncle: father's brother); your stepfather

gimishoomis nad your grandfather

gimiwan vii it rains

gimiwanaabo ni [BL] rain water

See also: gimiwanaaboo ni

gimiwanaaboo ni rainwater

gimiwanaanakwad vii there are rain clouds

gimiwanaanakwad ni a rain cloud

gimiwanaanakwagoode vii there is a rain cloud in the sky

gimiwanishi vai s/he gets caught in the rain

gimiwanoowayaan ni a raincoat

gimiishigwaan nid your (single) pubic hair

gimoodagwe vai s/he steals something from a snare or snares

gimoodakii vai s/he steals from a garden

gimoodasabaw vta steal a net or net contents from h/

gimoodasabii vai s/he steals something from a net or nets

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.