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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

minwamon vii it is a good road or trail

minwanjige vai s/he eats well, likes what s/he eats

minwapidoon vti2 tie it well

minwashkime vai s/he weaves snowshoe webbing nicely

minwashkine vii it fits well; it is well filled

Paired with: minwashkine vai

minwashkine vai s/he fits well; s/he is well filled

minwashkiigaa vii it is a nice and level muskeg

minwate vii it is a nice house, is a nice room; it (a dwelling) is in good order

minwaabadad vii it is very useful, is of good use

Paired with: minwaabadizi vai

minwaabadizi vai s/he is very useful, is of good use

Paired with: minwaabadad vii

minwaabaji' vta get good use of h/

Paired with: minwaabajitoon vti2

minwaabajitoon vti2 get good use of it

Paired with: minwaabaji' vta

minwaabam vta like the look of h/

Paired with: minwaabandan vti

minwaabamewizi vai s/he is admired, is respected

minwaabaminaagozi vai s/he looks good, looks nice

Paired with: minwaabaminaagwad vii

minwaabaminaagwad vii it looks good, looks nice

Paired with: minwaabaminaagozi vai

minwaabandan vti like the look of it

Paired with: minwaabam vta

minwaabewizi vai he has a good build

minwaabi vai s/he has good eyesight, sees well

minwaabide vai s/he has good teeth

minwaabikad vii it is good (as something mineral)

Paired with: minwaabikizi vai

minwaabikizi vai s/he is good (as something mineral)

Paired with: minwaabikad vii

minwaadizi vai s/he is a good person (leads a good life, has a good character, is honest)

minwaadodan vti tell good news of it

Paired with: minwaajim vta

minwaagamide vii it is well brewed

minwaagamin vii it (a liquid) tastes good

minwaagamitoon vti2 make it (a liquid) good

minwaagiyawe vai s/he has a nice body build

minwaajim vta tell good news of h/

Paired with: minwaadodan vti

minwaajimo vai s/he tells good news, tells a good story

minwaakozi vai s/he is good (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: minwaakwad vii

minwaakwad vii it is good (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: minwaakozi vai

minwaande vii it is a good color

Paired with: minwaanzo vai

minwaanikwe vai s/he has nice hair

minwaanimad vii there is a good breeze

minwaanzo vai s/he is a good color

Paired with: minwaande vii

minwaapi vai s/he laughs happily

minwaate vii it has a good light, shines well

minwaatese vii it is a good movie

minwegad vii it is good (as something sheet-like)

Paired with: minwegizi vai

minwegizi vai s/he is good (as something sheet-like)

Paired with: minwegad vii

minwendam vai2 s/he is happy, is joyous, is glad, has a good time

minwendan vti like it

Paired with: minwenim vta

minwendaagozi vai s/he is likeable, is agreeable, is fun

Paired with: minwendaagwad vii

minwendaagwad vii it is likeable, is fun

Paired with: minwendaagozi vai

minwenim vta like h/

Paired with: minwendan vti

minwewebagaasin vii its leaves sound nice blowing in the wind

minwewebide vii it sounds good running [motor]

Paired with: minwewebizo vai

minwewebizo vai it (animate) sounds good running [motor]

Paired with: minwewebide vii

minwewebiisaan vii [BL] the rain sounds nice

minwewenjige vai s/he sounds good chewing

minwewesin vii it sounds nice ringing

Paired with: minweweshin vai

minweweshin vai s/he sounds nice ringing or hitting

Paired with: minwewesin vii

minweweyaandagaasin vii its boughs sound nice blowing in the wind

minweweyaanimad vii the wind has a nice sound, sounds good

misajidamoo na a grey squirrel; a fox squirrel

[
fox squirrel, grey squirrel
; 
Sciurus spp.
]

misakakojiish na [S] a badger

[
American badger
; 
Taxisea taxus
]

See also: mitanask na [N]

misan ni (pieces of) firewood

misawaa adv gram even though; no matter what; even if

misawaabam vta look with desire at h/, want to have h/ (someone or something seen)

Paired with: misawaabandan vti

misawaabandan vti look with desire at it, want to have it

misawaabi vai s/he sees something desirable, wishes to have something s/he sees

misawendam vai2 s/he needs, wants, desires something

misawendamowin ni desire

misawendan vti want, desire it

Paired with: misawenim vta

(detransitive) misawenjige vai s/he wants, desires things
misawenim vta want, desire h/

Paired with: misawendan vti

misawenjige vai s/he wants, desires things

misawinan vti wish to have it

Paired with: misawinaw vta

misawinaw vta be envious of h/; wish to have h/

Paired with: misawinan vti

misawitaagozi vai s/he sounds desirable

Paired with: misawitaagwad vii

misawitaagwad vii it sounds desirable

Paired with: misawitaagozi vai

misaabe na giant, of legendary size

misaabooz na a jack rabbit

[
white-tailed jack rabbit
; 
Lepus townsendii
]

misko- pv lex red

misko-bineshiinh na a cardinal

[
northern cardinal
; 
Cardinalis cardinalis
]

misko-jiis ni a beet

misko-miigwan na a red feather

See also: miskogwan na

misko-waagosh na a red fox

[
Vulpes vulpes
]

miskobag ni a red leaf

miskobagad vii it has red leaves, is a red leaf

miskobagaa vii there are red leaves on the trees; it has a red leaf or red leaves

Paired with: miskobagizi vai

miskobagizi vai s/he (a tree) has red leaves

Paired with: miskobagaa vii

miskobii'an vti color it red; paint it red

miskodiisimin na a bean

See also: miskojiisimin na

miskodoone vai s/he has red lips

miskodoonebii' vta [BL] put lipstick on h/

miskodoonebii'igan ni [BL] lipstick

miskodoonebii'o vai s/he wears lipstick

miskodoonebii'odizo vai s/he puts h/ lipstick on

miskodoonebii'on ni [BL] lipstick

miskodoonechigan ni lipstick

miskodoonechige vai s/he wears lipstick

miskogaadeyaab ni yarn

miskogwan na a red feather

miskogwane vai s/he (a bird) has red feathers

misko'o vai s/he wears red

miskojaane vai s/he has a red nose

miskojaanewaji vai h/ nose is red from the cold

miskojiisimin na a bean

See also: miskodiisimin na

miskojiisiminaaboo ni [N] bean soup

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.