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gwayako-zhooniyaa na cash, ready money

gwayakobatoo vai s/he runs straight

gwayakobide vii it speeds, drives, flies straight

Paired with: gwayakobizo vai

gwayakobidoon vti2 pull, tear it straight

Paired with: gwayakobizh vta

gwayakobizh vta pull, tear h/ straight

Paired with: gwayakobidoon vti2

gwayakobizo vai s/he speeds, drives, flies straight

Paired with: gwayakobide vii

gwayakobii'an vti write it correctly

(detransitive) gwayakobii'ige vai s/he writes correctly (verb of undergoing) gwayakobii'igaade vii it is written correctly (by someone), "they" write it correctly
gwayakobii'igaade vii it is written correctly (by someone), "they" write it correctly

gwayakobii'ige vai s/he writes correctly

gwayakoboode vii it is sawn straight

Paired with: gwayakoboozo vai

gwayakoboodoon vti2 saw it straight

Paired with: gwayakoboozh vta

gwayakoboozh vta saw h/ straight

Paired with: gwayakoboodoon vti2

gwayakoboozo vai s/he is sawn straight

Paired with: gwayakoboode vii

gwayakochige vai s/he makes things right, does things right

gwayakogamaa vii it is a straight lake

gwayakogaabawi vai s/he stands straight, has good posture

gwayakogi vai s/he grows straight

Paired with: gwayakogin vii

gwayakogin vii it grows straight

Paired with: gwayakogi vai

gwayakogiizhwe vai s/he speaks correctly, speaks the truth

gwayakogwaadan vti sew it correctly

Paired with: gwayakogwaazh vta

gwayakogwaade vii it is sewn correctly

Paired with: gwayakogwaazo vai

gwayakogwaaso vai s/he sews correctly

gwayakogwaazh vta sew h/ correctly

Paired with: gwayakogwaadan vti

gwayakogwaazo vai s/he is sewn correctly

gwayako' vta
  1. make h/ straight
  2. make h/ right

Paired with: gwayakotoon vti2

gwayakokweni vai s/he holds h/ head straight

gwayakomaagozi vai s/he smells right

gwayakomaagwad vai it smells right

Paired with: gwayakomaagozi vai

gwayakosidoon vti2 lay it straight

Paired with: gwayakoshim vta

gwayakosin vii
  1. it lies correctly
  2. it lies straight

Paired with: gwayakoshin vai

gwayakoshim vta

Paired with: gwayakosidoon vti2

gwayakoshin vai
  1. s/he lies straight
  2. s/he lies correctly

Paired with: gwayakosin vii

gwayakoshkaa vai
  1. s/he goes straight
  2. s/he goes the right way

gwayakotam vai2 s/he hears the right thing, finds out the truth

gwayakotigweyaa vii it is a straight river

gwayakotoon vti2
  1. make it straight
  2. make it right

Paired with: gwayako' vta

(detransitive) gwayakochige vai s/he makes things right, does things right
gwayakowe vai s/he speaks correctly, speaks the truth

gwayakozh vta cut h/ straight

Paired with: gwayakozhan vti

gwayakozhan vti cut it straight

Paired with: gwayakozh vta

gwayakozi vai s/he is straight

Paired with: gwayakwaa vii

gwayakozhwi vta [BL]

► gwayakozh vta

gwayakwa'amii vai s/he walks straight

gwayakwakamigaa vii it is level ground

gwayakwamon vti it (road or trail) is straight

gwayakwaa vii
  1. it is straight
  2. it is correct

Paired with: gwayakozi vai

gwayakwaabate vii smoke goes straight up

gwayakwaabidoo'an vti thread it correctly, bead it correctly (on a bead loom)

(detransitive) gwayakwaabidoo'ige vai s/he beads things correctly (on a loom)
gwayakwaabidoo'ige vai s/he beads things correctly (on a loom)

gwayakwaabikad vii it is straight (as something mineral)

Paired with: gwayakwaabikizi vai

gwayakwaabikizi vai s/he is straight (as something mineral)

Paired with: gwayakwaabikad vii

gwayakwaabiigad vii it is straight (as something string-like)

Paired with: gwayakwaabiigizi vai

gwayakwaabiigizi vai s/he is straight (as something string-like)

Paired with: gwayakwaabiigad vii

gwayakwaadizi vai s/he is a good person (leads a good life, has a good character, is honest)

gwayakwaadiziwin ni good character, honesty

gwayakwaagamisijigan ni a level

gwayakwaajimo vai s/he tells the news or the story correctly, tells the truth

gwayakwaakosidoon vti2 set it (something stick-like) straight

Paired with: gwayakwaakoshim vta

gwayakwaakosin vii it (something stick-like) lies straight

Paired with: gwayakwaakoshin vai

gwayakwaakoshim vta set, lay h/ (something stick-like) straight

See also: gwayakwaakoshim vta

gwayakwaakoshin vai it ((animate; stick-like) lies straight

Paired with: gwayakwaakosin vii

gwayakwaakozi vai s/he is straight (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: gwayakwaakwad vii

gwayakwaakwad vii it is straight (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: gwayakwaakozi vai

gwayakwegad vii it (something sheet-like) is straight

gwayakwegizi vai s/he (something sheet-like) is straight

Paired with: gwayakwegad vii

gwayakwendam vai2 s/he thinks correctly; s/he is sure, certain about something

gwayakwendamowin ni correct thought

gwayakwendamowin ni correct thought

gwayakwendan vti think it right, correct; be sure, certain about it

Paired with: gwayakwenim vta

gwayakwendaagozi vai s/he is thought right

Paired with: gwayakwendaagwad vii

gwayakwendaagwad vii it is thought right

Paired with: gwayakwendaagozi vai

gwayakwenim vta think h/ is right, correct; be sure, certain about h/

Paired with: gwayakwendan vti

gwaaba' vta scoop h/ up

Paired with: gwaaba'an vti

gwaaba'adaawangwaan ni [BL] a shovel (for dirt), a spade

gwaaba'adaawangwe vai [BL] s/he scoops up dirt or sand

gwaaba'amaw vta
  1. scoop (it) up for h/
  2. get water for h/

gwaaba'an vti scoop it up

Paired with: gwaaba' vta

(benefactive) gwaaba'amaw vta
  1. scoop (it) up for h/
  2. get water for h/
 (detransitive) gwaaba'ige vai s/he scoops up things gwaaba'igan ni a dipper, a scoop
gwaaba'aawangwaan ni a shovel (for dirt), a spade

gwaaba'ibii vai s/he draws water

gwaaba'igan ni a dipper, a scoop

gwaaba'ige vai s/he scoops up things

gwaaba'waagan na a scoop net

gwaabanda' vta give h/ a sip of it

gwaabandan vti sip it, take a sip of it

(causative) gwaabanda' vta give h/ a sip of it
gwaakwaashkwani vai s/he keeps jumping

gwaakwaashkwesidoon vti bounce it

gwaashkwani vai s/he jumps

gwaashkwanodan vti jump on it

Paired with: gwaashkwanodaw vta

gwaashkwanodaw vta jump on h/; assault, rape h/

Paired with: gwaashkwanodan vti

(detransitive) gwaashkwanodaage vai s/he commits assault, commits rape
(derived noun) gwaashkwanodaagewin ni assault, rape
gwaashkwanodaage vai s/he commits assault, commits rape

gwaashkwanodaagewin ni assault, rape

gwaashkwaashkwandaabiganoojiinh na a jumping mouse

gwaashkwebiigamitoo vai s/he is heard spashing

gwaashkwe' vta whack, smack h/ (using something)

gwaashkwesidoon vti2 drop it and have it rebound; bounce it

Paired with: gwaashkweshim vta

gwaashkwesin vii it bounces, rebounds

Paired with: gwaashkweshin vai

gwaashkweshim vta drop h/ and have h/ rebound; bounce h/

Paired with: gwaashkwesidoon vti2

gwaashkweshin vai s/he bounces, rebounds

Paired with: gwaashkwesin vii

gwaashkwezi vai s/he is eager, is energetic, is ambitious

gwech adv qnt enough

gwekabi vai s/he turns around while sitting

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.