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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

mikwendaagozi vai s/he comes to mind, is recalled, is remembered

Paired with: mikwendaagwad vii

mikwendaagwad vii it comes to mind, is recalled, is remembered

Paired with: mikwendaagozi vai

mikwenim vta recall, recollect, remember, come to think of h/

Paired with: mikwendan vti

(reciprocal) mikwenindiwag vai they recall, recollect, remember, come to think of each other
mikwenindiwag vai they recall, recollect, remember, come to think of each other

mimigobagizo vai s/he shakes h/ body

mimigosaga'igan ni a scrub brush

See also: mamigosaga'igan ni [BL]

mimigosaga'ige vai s/he scrubs the floor

mimigoshkam vai2 s/he threshes, jigs something (e.g., wild rice)

Paired with: mamigoshkam vai2 [BL]

mimigoshkamwaagan ni a barrel or tub used in threshing wild rice

mimigoshkan vti rub it (with foot or body) to loosen it; thresh, jig it (e.g., wild rice)

See also: mamigoshkan vti [BL]

mimigwabi vai s/he squirms sitting

mimigwaabika'igan ni a pot scrubber; a dish rag, a dish cloth

See also: mamigwaabika'igan ni [BL]

mimigwaakosidoon vti2 scrub it on a washboard, rub it against a board

mimigwaakosijige vai s/he scrubs something on a washboard mimigwaakosijigan ni a washboard
mimigwaakosijigan ni a washboard

See also: mamigwaakosijigan ni [BL]

mimigwaakosijige vai s/he scrubs something on a washboard

mina' vta give h/ a drink, give (it) to him to drink

(detransitive) mina'iwe vai s/he gives drinks out to someone
mina'ig na [BL] a white spruce

[
Picea glauca
]

mina'igo-bigiw ni white spruce pitch

mina'igwanagek na white spruce bark

mina'igwaandag na [BL] a white spruce bough

mina'iwe vai s/he gives drinks out to someone

minawaanigo' vta make h/ happy

minawaanigonaagozi vai s/he looks happy

minawaanigotaagozi vai s/he sounds happy

minawaanigozi vai s/he is happy, is joyous, is glad, has a good time

Paired with: minawaanigwad vii

minawaanigwad vii it is happy, is joyous, is exciting

Paired with: minawaanigozi vai

minawaanigwendam vai2 s/he feels happy, feels glad

minaadendan vti think highly of, esteem, respect it

Paired with: minaadenim vta

minaadenim vta think highly of, esteem, respect h/

Paired with: minaadendan vti

minaadenimo vai s/he is proud, has self-respect

minaagozi vai s/he has an odor. has a smell

See also: minaagwad vii

minaagwad vii it has a odor, has a smell

See also: minaagozi vai

minaam vta smell h/, get h/ scent

mindawe vai s/he is dissatisfied (with what has been given), pouts

(verb of addiction) mindaweshki vai s/he pouts habitually
mindaweganzhaan a white spot on the fingernail

mindaweganzhii vai s/he has white spots on fingernails

mindaweshki vai s/he pouts habitually

mindido vai s/he is big

Paired with: michaa vii

mindido' vta make h/ big, enlarge h/
mindido' vta make h/ big, enlarge h/

Paired with: michaatoon vti2

mindimooyenh na an old woman, an old lady

(verb of being) mindimooyenyiwi vai she is an old woman, is an old lady (verb of pretending) mindimooyenyikaazo vai s/he pretends to is an old lady
mindimooyenyikaazo vai s/he pretends to is an old lady

mindimooyenyiwi vai she is an old woman, is an old lady

mindookad vii there is dew

mini ni pus

(verb of being) miniiwan vii it has pus, is inflected (verb of being) miniiwi vai s/he has pus, is infected
minik adv qnt a certain amount, a certain number, so much, so many

minikwaadan vti use it for a drink

minikwaajigan ni drinking vessel (larger than a cup): a glass, a mug, a tankard, a chalice

minikwaajigan adv qnt a measure of liquid: a gallon

minikwe vai s/he drinks

(derived noun) minikwewin ni something to drink, a beverage; alcohol (for drinking): liquor, spirits, whiskey (applicative) minikwaadan vti use it for a drink (verb of addiction) minikweshki vai s/he drinks as a habit
minikwen vai + o s/he drinks (it)

minikweshki vai s/he drinks as a habit

minikwewigamig ni a tavern, a bar

minikwewin ni alcohol (for drinking): liquor, spirits, whiskey; something to drink, a beverage

mininj adv num an inch

► daso-mininj adv num [NI]

minis ni an island

See also: minisi ni [RL]

minisaabik ni a rocky island, a reef

minisaabikokaa vii there are (man)y reefs

minisi ni [RL] an island

See also: minis ni

minisinadaawangaa vii there is an island of sand

minisinakii vii it grows in an island, there is an island of it growing

minisinaakwaa vii it is a stand of trees in an open area; there is a grove of trees

miniingwaan ni matter in or near in eyes

miniingwe vai s/he has an infected eye

miniiwan vii it has pus, is inflected

miniiwaabide vai s/he has an abscessed tooth

miniiwi vai s/he has pus, is infected

miniiwigaade vai s/he has an infected leg

miniiwininjii vai s/he has an infected hand

miniiwitawage vai s/he has an infected ear

miniiwizide vai s/he has an infected foot

minjikanaakobide vii it is fenced, fenced in

minjikanaakobidoon vti2 fence it, fence it in

Paired with: minjikanaakobizh vta

(detransitive) minjikanaakobijige vai s/he fences something, fences something in (verb of undergoing) minjikanaakobijigaade vii it is fenced, fenced in (derived noun) minjikanaakobijigan ni a fence
minjikanaakobijigan ni a fence

minjikanaakobijiganaatig ni a fencepost

minjikanaakobijigaade vii it is fenced, fenced in

minjikanaakobijige vai s/he fences something, fences something in

minjikanaakobizh vta fence h/ in

Paired with: minjikanaakobidoon vti2

minjikaawan na something worn on the hand: a mitten, a mitt, a glove

minjikaawani-biitoonigan na a mitt liner, an undermitt

minjikaawanike vai s/he makes a mitten or mittens

minjimapide vii it is tied down

Paired with: minjimapizo vai

minjimapidoon vti2 tie it down

Paired with: minjimapizh vta

minjimapizh vta tie h/ down

Paired with: minjimapidoon vti2

minjimapizo vai s/he is tied down

Paired with: minjimapide vii

minjimaakwa'igan ni a clothespin

minjimaakwaatig ni a support rail

minjimaakwii vai s/he clings, holds on (to something stick-like such as a railing or a handle)

minjimendam vai2 s/he holds something in h/ memory; s/he remembers

minjimendan vti keep it in h/ mind, remember it

Paired with: minjimenim vta

minjimenim vta keep h/ in h/ mind, remember h

Paired with: minjimendan vti

minjimin vta hold h/ in place, steady h/

Paired with: minjiminan vti

(reflexive) minjiminidizo vai s/he holds onto, restrains h/ self; s/he has self-control (reciprocal) minjiminidiwag vai they hold onto each other
minjiminamaw vta hold (it) in place for h/, steady (it) for h

minjiminan vti hold it in place, steady it

Paired with: minjimin vta

(benefactive) minjiminamaw vta hold (it) in place for h/, steady (it) for h (detransitive) minjiminige vai s/he holds things in place (verb of undergoing) minjiminigaade vii it is held in place (by someone), "they" hold it in place (verb of undergoing) minjiminigaazo vai s/he is held in place (by someone), "they" hold h/ in place (derived noun) minjiminigan ni a handle
minjiminidiwag vai they hold onto each other

minjiminidizo vai s/he holds onto, restrains h/ self; s/he has self-control

minjiminigan ni a handle

minjiminigaade vii it is held in place (by someone), "they" hold it in place

minjiminigaazo vai s/he is held in place (by someone), "they" hold h/ in place

minjiminige vai s/he holds things in place

minjimishkan vti hold it in place (with foot or body), steady it (with foot or body)

Paired with: minjimishkaw vta

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.