Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

jiiboningwii vai [BL] s/he has pointed wings

jiibotoon vti2 [BL] make it pointed

Paired with: jiibo' vta [BL]

jiibozhan vti [BL] cut it to a point

Paired with: jiibozhwi vta [BL]

jiibozi vai [BL] s/he is pointed

Paired with: jiibwaa vii [BL]

jiibozhwi vta [BL] cut h/ to a point

Paired with: jiibozhan vti [BL]

jiibwadinaa vii [BL] it is a pointed hill

jiibwanashkidii vai [BL] s/he (a bird) has a pointed or sharp tail

jiibwaa vii [BL] it is pointed

Paired with: jiibozi vai [BL]

jiibwaabikad vii [BL] it is pointed [mineral]

Paired with: jiibwaabikizi vai [BL]

jiibwaabikizi vai [BL] s/he is pointed [mineral]

Paired with: jiibwaabikad vii [BL]

jiibwaakozi vai [BL] s/he (something wooden or stick-like) is pointed

Paired with: jiibwaakwad vii [BL]

jiibwaakwad vii [BL] it (something wooden or stick-like) is pointed

Paired with: jiibwaakozi vai [BL]

jiibwegad vii [BL] it is pointed [sheet-like]

Paired with: jiibwegizi vai [BL]

jiibwegin vta fold it (animate; sheet-like) to point

jiibweginan vti fold it (sheet-like) to a point

jiibwegizhan vti [BL] cut it (sheet-like) pointed

jiibwegizi vai [BL] s/he is pointed (sheet-like)

Paired with: jiibwegad vii [BL]

jiichiibininjiini vai s/he taps h/ fingers

jiichiibishkaa vai s/he quivers

jiichiibishkiinzhigwe vai h/ eyes twitch

jiichiibizideni vai s/he taps h/ foot

jiichiibiingwetaw vta wink at h/

jiichiigawiganebizh vta scratch h/ back

jiichiigibidoon vti2 scratch it (leaving a visible mark)

Paired with: jiichiigibizh vta

jiichiigibinidizo vai s/he scratches h/ self

jiichiigibizh vta scratch h/ (leaving a visible mark)

Paired with: jiichiigibidoon vti2

(reflexive) jiichiigibinidizo vai s/he scratches h/ self
jiichiigii vai s/he scratches (leaving a visible mark)

jiichiigom na a wart

jiichiigwam vta chew on, gnaw h/

Paired with: jiichiigwandan vti

jiichiigwandan vti chew on, gnaw it (taking the meat off it)

Paired with: jiichiigwam vta

(detransitive) jiichiigwanjige vai s/he chews things
jiichiigwanjige vai s/he chews things

jiichiigwaanowe vai s/he has a bare tail

jiichiishkinzhe'igan ni a fire poker

jiichiishkinzhe'ige vai s/he stirs the fire

jiigada'igan ni a broom

jiigagam adv loc close to the shore or bank

jiiga'amegwe vai s/he scales fish

jiiga'aazh vta scale h/

jiiga'e vai s/he scales fish

jiigasin adv loc by a rock

See also: jiigaabik adv loc

jiigashkiig adv loc by the swamp, by the muskeg

jiigashkosiw adv loc by a meadow

jiigaya'ii adv loc along it; by it

See also: jiigayi'ii adv loc

jiigayi'ii adv loc along it; by it

See also: jiigaya'ii adv loc

jiigaabik adv loc by a rock

jiigaagonag adv loc by the snow

jiigaakwaa adv loc by, near the woods

See also: jiigaakwaang adv loc

jiigaakwaang adv loc by, near the woods

See also: jiigaakwaa adv loc

jiigaatig adv loc by a tree; by a wall

jiigew adv loc along the shore

jiigewe vai s/he goes along on the shore or edge

jiigewe- pv lex along the shore

jiigewe-minis adv loc along the side of the island

jiigewe-ziibi adv loc along the river shore, along the side of the river

jiigewebatoo vai s/he runs along the shore or edge

jiigewebide vii it speeds, drives along the shore or edge

Paired with: jiigewebizo vai

jiigewebizo vai s/he drives, speeds along the shore or edge

Paired with: jiigewebide vii

jiigewedaabii'iwe vai s/he drives, speeds along the shore or edge

jiigewe'am vai2 s/he paddles along the shore

jiigewe'o vai s/he paddles along the shore

jiigewekii vii it grows along the shore

jiigewekwazhiwe vai s/he paddles along the shore

jiigeweshkiig adv loc along the side of a muskeg

jiigewewidoon vti2 take, carry it along the shore or edge

Paired with: jiigewewizh vta

jiigewewizh vta take, carry h/ along the shore or edge

Paired with: jiigewewidoon vti2

jiigeweyaabik adv loc alongside the rock

jiigeweyaadagaa vai s/he swims along the shore

jiigeweyaadagaako vai s/he walks along shore or edge on the ice

jiigeweyaadagaazii vai s/he wades along the shore or edge

jiigeweyaadage vai [BL] s/he swims along the shore

jiigeweyaasin vii it is blown along the shore or edge (by the wind), sails, soars along the shore or edge

Paired with: jiigeweyaashi vai

jiigeweyaashi vai s/he is blown along the shore or edge (by the wind), sails, soars along the shore or edge

Paired with: jiigeweyaasin vii

jiigeweyaazhagaame vai s/he walks along the shore

jiigeweyaazhagaamebatoo vai s/he runs along the shore

jiigi- pv lex near, nearby, close; by

jiigi-aasamisag adv loc by the wall

See also: jiigisag adv loc

jiigi-baawitig adv loc by the rapids

jiigi-baawitig adv loc by the rapids

jiigi-gizhaabikizigan adv loc by the stove

jiigi-minis adv loc by an island

jiigi-waakaa'igan adv loc by a house

See also: jiigigamig adv loc

jiigi-zaaga'igan adv loc by the lake

jiigi-ziibi adv loc by a river

jiigibiig adv loc along the shore; by or along the edge of water or an open area

jiigidaabaan adv loc by a vehicle, car, sled

jiigidaabaanikana adv loc by a highway

jiigiga' vta hew, peel, or chip bark or other surface material off it (animate); debark it (animate)

Paired with: jiigiga'an vti

jiigiga'an vti hew, peel, or chip bark or other surface material off it; debark it

Paired with: jiigiga' vta

jiigigamig adv loc by a house or lodge

See also: jiigi-waakaa'igan adv loc

jiigikana adv loc by a road or trail

jiigikodan vti shave, trim it (with a blade)

Paired with: jiigikozh vta

jiigikode vii it is shaved, trimmed (by blade)

Paired with: jiigikozo vai

jiigikozh vta shave, trim h/ (with a blade)

Paired with: jiigikodan vti

jiigikozo vai s/he is shaved, trimmed (by blade)

Paired with: jiigikode vii

jiigimisad adv loc by the stomach, near the stomach

jiigisag adv loc by, against, or on the wall or boards

See also: jiigi-aasamisag adv loc

jiigishkode adv loc by a fire

jiigishkwaand adv loc by the door

jiigishkwaandeng adv loc by the door

See also: jiigishkwaand adv loc

jiigitawag adv loc by the ear

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.