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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

gagwedwewin a question

gagwejibidoon vti2 test it with the hands, test it by pulling on it

gagwejibizo vai s/he practices driving, takes a driving test, takes a test drive

gagwejichige vai s/he tries things, practices

gagwejidaabii'iwe vai s/he practices driving

gagwejiganaandiwin ni boxing; a boxing match

gagweji' vta try getting h/ to...

Paired with: gagwejitoon vti2

gagweji'igoowizi vai s/he is tested (by a higher power)

gagwejikada' vta race h/ in boats

(detransitive) gagwejikada'owe vai s/he races people (in boats) (reciprocal) gagwejikada'odiwag vai they race each other in boats (derived noun) gagwejikada'odiwin ni a canoe or boat race
gagwejikada'odiwag vai they race each other in boats

(derived noun) gagwejikada'odiwin ni a canoe or boat race
gagwejikada'odiwin ni a canoe or boat race

gagwejikada'owe vai s/he races people (in boats)

gagwejikada'wi vta [BL]

► gagwejikada' vta

gagwejikanidiwag vai they race each other

gagwejikanidiwin ni a footrace

gagwejikanidiiwidaabaan ni [RL] a race car

gagwejikazh vta race h/

(detransitive) gagwejikazhiwe vai s/he races people (reciprocal) gagwejikanidiwag vai they race each other
gagwejikazhiwe vai s/he races people

gagwejikazhiwewidaabaan na a race car

gagwejikazhiwewin ni a race

gagwejim vta ask, question h/

(reciprocal) gagwejindiwag vai they ask, question each other (reflexive) gagwejindizo vai s/he asks h/ self something
gagwejimaam vta keep sniffing h/

Paired with: gagwejimaandan vti

gagwejimaandan vti keep sniffing it

Paired with: gagwejimaam vta

(detransitive) gagwejimaanjige vai s/he sniffs around for (things)
gagwejimaanjige vai s/he sniffs around for (things)

gagwejindiwag vai they ask, question each other

gagwejindizo vai s/he asks h/ self something

gagwejitoon vti2 try, test it

Paired with: gagweji' vta

(detransitive) gagwejichige vai s/he tries things, practices
gagwejii vai s/he tests h/ strength

gagwejiigin vta test h/ (something sheet-like) by touch

Paired with: gagwejiiginan vti

gagwejiiginan vti test it (something sheet-like) by touch

Paired with: gagwejiigin vta

gagwejiiwaadan vti wrestle it

Paired with: gagwejiiwaazh vta

gagwejiiwaanidiwag vai they wrestle each other

gagwejiiwaazh vta wrestle h/

(reciprocal) gagwejiiwaanidiwag vai they wrestle each other
gagwejiiwaazo vai s/he wrestles

gagwejiiwaazoowinini na a wrestler

gagwejiiwigamig ni a gym, gymnasium

gagwezikan vti
  1. try it on
  2. test it (with foot or body)

Paired with: gagwezikaw vta

gagwezikaw vta
  1. test h/ (with foot or body)
  2. try h/ on

Paired with: gagwezikan vti

gagwezikige vai s/he tries on clothes

gakakabwewin ni [BL] a square baking pan

gakakaa vii it is square

Paired with: gakakizi vai

gakakaabikad vii it is square (as something mineral)

Paired with: gakakaabikizi vai

gakakaabikizi vai s/he is square (as something mineral)

Paired with: gakakaabikad vii

gakakaakozi vai s/he is square (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: gakakaakwad vii

gakakaakwad vii it is square (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: gakakaakozi vai

gakaki- pv lex square

gakaki-giziibiiga'iganens ni a laundry (detergent) pod

gakakiboodoon vti2 saw it into blocks

Paired with: gakakiboozh vta

gakakiboozh vta saw h/ into blocks

Paired with: gakakiboodoon vti2

gakaki' vta make h/ square

Paired with: gakakitoon vti2

gakakisin vii it has a square pattern

Paired with: gakakishin vai

gakakishin vai s/he has a square pattern

Paired with: gakakisin vii

gakakitoon vti2 make it square

Paired with: gakaki' vta

gakakizh vta cut h/ square

Paired with: gakakizhan vti

gakakizhan vti cut it into a square or a block; cut it square

Paired with: gakakizh vta ; gakakizhwi vta [BL]

gakakizi vai s/he is square

Paired with: gakakaa vii

gakakizhwi vta [BL]

► gakakizh vta

gakakiigad vii it is square (as something sheet-like)

Paired with: gakakiigizi vai

gakakiigin vta fold it (animate; sheet-like) into a square

Paired with: gakakiiginan vti

gakakiiginan vti fold it (sheet-like) into a square

gakakiigizi vai s/he is square (as something sheet-like)

Paired with: gakakiigad vii

gakaabikise vai s/he goes over a rock cliff

gakaaga'ogaan ni a house-like lodge

gakaamikijiwan vii it is a waterfall

gakaandawese vai s/he slips or falls off a step

gakeyaa adv loc in the direction of, in that way

gakijiwan vii it is a waterfall

gakina adv qnt all, every

See also: akina adv qnt [S]

gakina awiya pron indf everybody, all of them (a set of beings or animate things)

See also: akina awiya pron indf [ML]

gakina gegoo pron indf everything, all of them (a set of things)

See also: akina gegoo pron indf [ML]

gakiigin vta fold it (animate; sheet-like) at a right-angle or corner

Paired with: gakiiginan vti

gakiiginan vti fold it (sheet-like) at a right angle or corner

Paired with: gakiigin vta

gakiiw adv loc over the ridge; over the portage

gakiiwe vai s/he portages over a point or peninsula

gakiiwebatoo vai s/he runs over portage

gakiiwedaabaadan vti drag it across the portage

Paired with: gakiiwedaabaazh vta

gakiiwedaabaazh vta drag h/ across the portage

See also: gakiiwedaabaadan vti

gakiiwegozi vai s/he moves h/ household across a portage

gakiiwe'o vai s/he paddles over a flooded portage or point

See also: gakiiwekwazhiwe vai

gakiiwekana ni a portage trail

gakiiwekwazhiwe vai s/he paddles over a flooded portage or point

See also: gakiiwe'o vai

gakiiwenige vai s/he carries things over a portage

gakiiwewane vai s/he goes over portage with backpack

gakiiweyaagimose vai [BL] s/he snowshoes over a portage

gakiiweyaawadaaso vai s/he portages a load

ganabaj adv man I think that..., perhaps, maybe

ganage adv man in the least, by any means

See also: gaawiin ganage adv man ; gego ganage adv man

ganakin vta take a handful of h/

Paired with: ganakinan vti

ganakinamaw vta take a handful of it for h/

ganakinan vti take a handful of it

Paired with: ganakin vta

(benefactive) ganakinamaw vta take a handful of it for h/
ganawaabam vta look at, watch h/

Paired with: ganawaabandan vti

(detransitive) ganawaabange vai s/he watches people, is a spectator (reflexive) ganawaabandizo vai s/he looks at h/ self (reciprocal) ganawaabandiwag vai they look at, watch each other
ganawaabandamaw vta look at (it) for h/

ganawaabandan vti look at, watch it

Paired with: ganawaabam vta

(benefactive) ganawaabandamaw vta look at (it) for h/ (detransitive) ganawaabanjige vai s/he looks at, watches things (verb of undergoing) ganawaabanjigaade vii it is looked at (by someone, "they" look at it, it is watched (by someone), "they" watch it (verb of undergoing) ganawaabanjigaazo vai s/he is looked at (by someone), "they" look at h/, s/he is watched (by someone), "they" watch h/
ganawaabandiwag vai they look at, watch each other

ganawaabandizo vai s/he looks at h/ self

ganawaabange vai s/he watches people, is a spectator

ganawaabanjigaade vii it is looked at (by someone, "they" look at it, it is watched (by someone), "they" watch it

ganawaabanjigaazo vai s/he is looked at (by someone), "they" look at h/, s/he is watched (by someone), "they" watch h/

ganawaabanjige vai s/he looks at, watches things

ganawaabi vai s/he looks, watches

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.

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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.