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maadaawazh vta start hauling h/ away

Paired with: maadaawadoon vti2

maadaazhagaame vai s/he starts off along the shore

maadaazhagaamebatoo vai s/he starts running along the shore

maadingwaam vai [S] s/he starts sleeping

maadizh vta operate on h/; perform sugery on h/; start cutting h/

Paired with: maadizhan vti

maadizhan vti start cutting it

Paired with: maadizh vta

(detransitive) maadizhige vai s/he starts cutting
maadizekwe vai s/he starts cooking

maadizhige vai s/he starts cutting

maadoode vai s/he crawls off

maadoom vta carry h/ off on h/ back

Paired with: maadoondan vti

maadoondan vti carry it off on h/ back

Paired with: maadoom vta

maadwewebizoni' vta start h/ (e.g., a car)

maagizhaa adv man maybe; I think that..., perhaps, maybe

maagizhaa gaye adv man perhaps, maybe, might

See also: maagizhaa adv man

maagobidoon vti2 press, squeeze, wring it

Paired with: maagobizh vta

maagobizh vta press, squeeze, wring h/

See also: maagobidoon vti2

maagojiibidoon vti2 squeeze it (something soft and hollow or belly-like)

Paired with: maagojiibizh vta

maagojiibizh vta squeeze h/ belly, squeeze h/ (something soft and hollow or belly-like)

Paired with: maagojiibidoon vti2

maagon vta press on h/ (with hand)

Paired with: maagonan vti

maagonamaw vta press on (it) for h/

maagonan vti press on it (with hand)

Paired with: maagon vta

(benefactive) maagonamaw vta press on (it) for h/ (detransitive) maagonige vai s/he presses on things (with hand) (verb of undergoing) maagonigaade vii it is pressed on (by someone with hand), "they" press on it (with hand) (verb of undergoing) maagonigaazo vai s/he is pressed on (by someone with hand), "they" press on h/ (with hand)
maagonigaade vii it is pressed on (by someone with hand), "they" press on it (with hand)

maagonigaazo vai s/he is pressed on (by someone with hand), "they" press on h/ (with hand)

maagonige vai s/he presses on things (with hand)

maagoshkan vti press, squeeze it (with foot or body)

Paired with: maagoshkaw vta

maagoshkaw vta press, squeeze h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: maagoshkan vti

maagoshkoodoon vti2 press it down [by weight]

Paired with: maagoshkoozh vta

maagoshkoozh vta press h/ down (by weight)

Paired with: maagoshkoodoon vti2

maagowebishkaw vta press down on h/ forcefully (with foot or body); kick start h/ (a motorcycle)

maagwam vta bite down on h/

Paired with: maagwandan vti

maagwandan vti bite down on it

Paired with: maagwam vta

(detransitive) maagwanjige vai s/he bites down on something
maagwanjige vai s/he bites down on something

maagwapidoon vti2 tie it down tight

Paired with: maagwapizh vta

maagwapizh vta tie h/ down tight

Paired with: maagwapidoon vti2

maagwapizon ni a corset, a girdle

maagwaakwa'an vti press on it with something stick-like; clamp it down

(derived noun) maagwaakwa'igan ni a vice
maagwaakwa'igan ni a vice

maagwaakwa'iganaabik ni a vice

maa'ishkam vai2 s/he shops

maajaa vai s/he leaves, goes off, departs

(verb of pretending) maajaakaazo vai s/he pretends to leave (causative) maajaa' vta hold a funeral for h/
(detransitive) maajaa'iwe vai s/he conducts funerals for people
maajaa' vta hold a funeral for h/

maajaa'iwe vai s/he conducts funerals for people

maajaa'iwewin ni conducting a funeral

maajaa'iwewinini na a speaker at a funeral

maajaakaazo vai s/he pretends to leave

maajibii'an vti start writing it

(detransitive) maajibii'ige vai s/he starts writing
maajibii'ige vai s/he starts writing

maajibiisaa vii it starts raining

See also: maajibiisaan vii [BL]

maajibiisaan vii [BL] it starts raining

See also: maajibiisaa vii

maajiboodoon vti2 start sawing, start filing it

Paired with: maajiboozh vta

(detransitive) maajiboojige vai s/he starts to saw, starts to file things
maajiboojige vai s/he starts to saw, starts to file things

maajiboozh vta start sawing, start filing h/

Paired with: maajiboodoon vti2

maajidaabaadan vti start dragging, pulling it

Paired with: maajidaabaazh vta

maajidaabaazh vta start dragging, pulling h/

Paired with: maajidaabaadan vti

maajidaabii vai s/he starts dragging, pulling a load

maajidaabiiba'igo vai s/he drives off in a wagon

maajidaabii'iwe vai s/he starts driving, drives off, drives away

maajiga' vta start chopping h/

Paired with: maajiga'an vti

maajiga'an vti start chopping it

Paired with: maajiga' vta

maajiga'ise vai s/he starts chopping wood

maajigamide vii it starts to boil

maajigamizige vai s/he starts to make sugar

maajigaa vii it starts to leak, drip; it starts to run with sap

maajigwaadan vti start sewing it

Paired with: maajigwaazh vta

maajigwaaso vai s/he starts sewing

maajigwaazh vta start sewing h/

Paired with: maajigwaadan vti

maaji' vta start making h/

Paired with: maajitoon vti2

maajijiwan vii it starts to flow

maajinaazha' vta send h/ off

maajine vai s/he starts to be sick

maajinizha' vta send h/ off; start off in pursuit of h/

Paired with: maajinizha'an vti

maajinizha'amaw vta send (it) off to h/

maajinizha'an vti send it off

Paired with: maajinizha' vta

(benefactive) maajinizha'amaw vta send (it) off to h/ (detransitive) maajinizha'ige vai s/he sends things off (verb of undergoing) maajinizha'igaade vii it is sent off (by someone), "they" send it off (verb of undergoing) maajinizha'igaazo vai s/he is sent off (by someone), "they" send h/ off
maajinizha'igaade vii it is sent off (by someone), "they" send it off

maajinizha'igaazo vai s/he is sent off (by someone), "they" send h/ off

maajinizha'ige vai s/he sends things off

maajinizhikan vti start chasing, chase after it

Paired with: maajinizhikaw vta

maajinizhikaw vta chase h/ off

Paired with: maajinizhikan vti

maajinizhimo vai s/he starts off fleeing, starts off running away

maajipon vii it starts to snow

maajise vii it begins, starts, moves off

Paired with: maajise vai

maajise vai s/he begins, starts, moves off

Paired with: maajise vii

maajishimo vai s/he starts dancing

maajitaa vai s/he starts doing something, sets to work

maajitoon vti2 start making it

Paired with: maaji' vta

maajii- pv lex begin; start; start off

maajiiba' vta start running with, run off with h/

(detransitive) maajiiba'iwe vai s/he runs away from someone in fear, flees (reciprocal) maajiiba'idiwag vai they start running together, run off together
maajiiba'idiwag vai they start running together, run off together

maajiiba'igo vai s/he rides off, drives off (drawn by horse or dog)

maajiiba'iwaazh vta run away from h/ in fear

maajiiba'iwe vai s/he runs away from someone in fear, flees

maajiibatoo vai s/he starts to run, runs off

maajiibide vii it starts running, starts operating; it drives off, speeds off

Paired with: maajiibizo vai

maajiibizo vai

Paired with: maajiibide vii

maajiibizoni' vta start it (animate) operating

maajiibii'amaw vta write a letter to h/

maajiibii'igan ni an outgoing letter

maajiibii'ige vai s/he writes a letter

maajiibii'ige-mashkimodens ni an envelope

maajiida' vta send (it) with h/

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.