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ishkishin vai s/he is tired of lying

ishkode ni fire, a fire

(verb of making) ishkodeke vai s/he makes a fire (verb of being) ishkodewan vii it is on fire ishkodewi vai s/he is a fire (of the sun)
ishkode-bingwi ni ashes

ishkode-bingwiiwaaboo ni lye water

ishkode-jiimaan ni a steamboat, a ship

ishkode-makakoons ni a battery

ishkodekaan ni a lighter

ishkodeke vai s/he makes a fire

ishkodens ni a match

(verb of possession) odishkodensimi vai s/he has a match or matches
ishkodewan vii it is on fire

Paired with: ishkodewi vai

ishkodewaabo ni [BL] alcohol (for drinking): liquor, spirits, whiskey

See also: ishkodewaaboo ni

ishkodewaaboo ni alcohol (for drinking): liquor, spirits, whiskey

See also: ishkodewaabo ni [BL]

ishkodewi vai s/he is a fire (of the sun)

Paired with: ishkodewan vii

ishkodewidaabaan ni [RL] a train

See also: ishkodewidaabaan na

ishkodewidaabaan na a train

See also: ishkodewidaabaan ni [RL]

ishkodewidaabaanikana ni a train track

ishkon vta reserve, save, leave h/

Paired with: ishkonan vti

ishkonamaw vta reserve, save, leave (it) for h/

ishkonan vti reserve, save, leave it

Paired with: ishkon vta

(benefactive) ishkonamaw vta reserve, save, leave (it) for h/ (detransitive) ishkonige vai s/he reserves, saves, leaves things (verb of undergoing) ishkonigaade vii it is reserved, saved, left (by someone), "they" reserve, save, leave it (verb of undergoing) ishkonigaazo vai s/he is reserved, saved, left (by someone), "they" reserve, save, leave h/ (derived noun) ishkonigan ni a reservation (US), a reserve (Canada)
ishkonazh vta spare h/ from killing

ishkonigan ni a reservation (US), a reserve (Canada)

ishkonigani-inaakonigewin ni a band resolution or law

ishkonigaade vii it is reserved, saved, left (by someone), "they" reserve, save, leave it

ishkonigaazo vai s/he is reserved, saved, left (by someone), "they" reserve, save, leave h/

ishkonige vai s/he reserves, saves, leaves things

ishkozh vta leave h/ uncut

Paired with: ishkozhan vti

ishkozhan vti leave it uncut

Paired with: ishkozh vta ; ishkozhwi vta [NI]

(detransitive) ishkozhige vai s/he leaves something uncut (verb of undergoing) ishkozhigaade vii it is left uncut (by someone), "they" leave it uncut (derived noun) ishkozhigan ni something left uncut
ishkozhigan ni something left uncut

ishkozhigaade vii it is left uncut (by someone), "they" leave it uncut

ishkozhige vai s/he leaves something uncut

ishkozhwi vta [NI]

► ishkozh vta

ishkwam vta leave h/ behind uneaten

Paired with: ishkwandan vti

ishkwandamaw vta save, leave (some food) for h/

ishkwandan vti leave it behind uneaten

Paired with: ishkwam vta

(benefactive) ishkwandamaw vta save, leave (some food) for h/ (detransitive) ishkwanjige vai s/he leaves leftovers (verb of undergoing) ishkwanjigaade vii it is left over from eating (by someone), "they" leave left-over food (verb of undergoing) ishkwanjigaazo vai s/he is left over from eating (by someone), "they" leave h/ as leftovers (derived noun) ishkwanjigan ni leftover food
ishkwanjigan ni leftover food

ishkwanjigaade vii it is left over from eating (by someone), "they" leave left-over food

ishkwanjigaazo vai s/he is left over from eating (by someone), "they" leave h/ as leftovers

ishkwanjige vai s/he leaves leftovers

ishkwaa- pv lex when something has stopped, is over, is done; after

ishkwaa-anama'e-giizhigad vii it is Monday

ishkwaa-aabitaa-dibikad vii it is after mid-night

ishkwaa-naawakwe vii it is afternoon

ishkwaabiisaa vii the rain is over

See also: ishkwaabiisaan vii [BL]

ishkwaabiisaan vii [BL] the rain is over

See also: ishkwaabiisaa vii

ishkwaagamizige vai s/he finishes boiling sap

ishkwaagaa vii it is the last run of sap

ishkwaaj adv tmp last

ishkwaajanokii-giizhigad vii it is Saturday

ishkwaajinikaazo vai s/he has a last name

(derived noun) ishkwaajinikaazowin ni a last name
ishkwaajinikaazowin ni a last name

ishkwaakamigad vii it (an event) is over

ishkwaanaamo vai s/he stops breathing

ishkwaandem ni a door

ishkwaapon vii the snow is over

ishkwaase vii it comes to an end

ishkwaataa vai s/he is at the end of an activity; s/he stops an activity, stops working, quits working, quits a job

ishkwaayaanimad vii

ishkwe- pv lex at the end

ishkwe-aya'ii adv loc at the end

ishkwe-ayi'ii adv loc at the end of it

ishkwe-minis adv loc at the end of the island

ishkwe-oodena ni the end of town

ishkwebi vai s/he sits at the end

ishkwedaabii'iwe vai s/he drives in last place

ishkwegamaa vii it is the last lake

ishkwegaabawi vai s/he stands at the end

ishkwege vai s/he lives at the end of town, lives in the last house

ishkwegoode vii it hangs at the end

Paired with: ishkwegoojin vai

ishkwegoodoon vti2 hang it at the end

Paired with: ishkwegoozh vta

ishkwegoojin vai s/he hangs at the end

Paired with: ishkwegoode vii

ishkwegoozh vta hang h/ at the end

Paired with: ishkwegoodoon vti2

ishkwejaagan na a last born child, the youngest child

See also: ishkwejiiyaagan na [NI]

ishkwejiiyaagan na [NI] a last born child, the youngest child

See also: ishkwejaagan na

ishkwekana adv loc at the end of the road or trail

ishkwenikaazo vai s/he has a last name

ishkwenikaazowin ni a last name
ishkwenikaazowin ni a last name

ishkweninj ni a little finger

ishkwesa'igan na a top

ishkwesidoon vti2 put it at the end, in last place

Paired with: ishkweshim vta

ishkwesin vii it lies at the end

Paired with: ishkweshin vai

ishkweshim vta put h/ at the end, in last place

Paired with: ishkwesidoon vti2

ishkweshimo vai s/he dances at the end

ishkweshin vai s/he lies at the end

Paired with: ishkwesin vii

ishkweya'ii adv loc

See also: ishkwe-aya'ii adv loc

ishkweyaang adv loc behind, at the back, in the rear; back (in time), in the past; in the back

ishkwii vai s/he stays behind. remains

ishpabi vai s/he has a high office, is the chairman; s/he sits high

ishpadinaa vii it is a high hill or ridge

ishpadowe vai s/he has deep fur

ishpagim vta charge a high price for h/

Paired with: ishpagindan vti

ishpagindan vti charge a high price for it

Paired with: ishpagim vta

ishpagindaaso vai s/he charges a high price

ishpaginde vii it is high-priced

Paired with: ishpaginzo vai

ishpaginzo vai
  1. s/he is high-priced
  2. s/he is high in rank, status, or office

Paired with: ishpaginde vii

ishpagoode vii it hangs high

Paired with: ishpagoojin vai

ishpagoodoon vti2 hang it high or higher

Paired with: ishpagoozh vta

ishpagoojin vai
  1. s/he hangs high
  2. the sun is high in the sky

Paired with: ishpagoode vii

ishpagoozh vta hang h/ high or higher

Paired with: ishpagoodoon vti2

ishpagoozi vai s/he si perched up high

ishpakamigaa vii it is high ground

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.