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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

mishawikwam adv loc out on the ice

mishawisag adv loc out on the floor

mishi ni (a piece of) firewood

mishi- pv lex giant, of legendary size

mishibizhii na
  1. a lion, a panther [mountain lion, Puma concolor]
  2. an underwater panther

See also: mishiibizhii na

mishiibizhiw na [BL] a great panther

See also: mishiibizhii na

mishiibizhii na a great panther

See also: mishiibizhiw na [BL]

mishiikenh na a snapping turtle

mishiimin na an apple

(verb of abundance) mishiiminikaa vii there are (many) apples
mishiimin gaa-agonjing ni-v [BL] canned peaches in syrup

mishiiminaabo ni [BL] apple juice, cider

See also: mishiiminaaboo ni

mishiiminaaboo ni apple juice, cider

See also: mishiiminaabo ni [BL]

mishiiminaatig na an apple tree

mishiimini-baashkiminasigan ni apple sauce

mishiimini-baashkiminasigani-biitoosijigani-bakwezhigan na an apple pie

mishiimini-biitoosijigani-bakwezhigan na an apple pie

mishiiminikaa vii there are (many) apples

mishiiwaatig ni (a stick of) dry wood

See also: mishiiwaatig na

(verb of being) mishiiwaatigowan vii it is dry wood
mishiiwaatig na a dead dry tree

See also: mishiiwaatig ni

(verb of being) mishiiwaatigowi vai s/he (a tree) is dry, has dry wood
mishiiwaatigosag na a dead dry tree

mishiiwaatigosag ni (a stick of) dry wood

mishiiwaatigowan vii it is dry wood

Paired with: mishiiwaatigowi vai

mishiiwaatigowi vai s/he (a tree) is dry, has dry wood

Paired with: mishiiwaatigowan vii

mishkawaagamin vii [LLC] it (a liquid) is strong

See also: mashkawaagamin vii

mishtadim na [BL] [RL] a horse

See also: bebezhigooganzhii na

mitabi vai s/he sits on the bare ground or surface

mitadim na [BL] a horse

mita'adoo vai s/he goes on foot, just walks

mitakamig adv loc on bare ground

mitakamigaa vii it (the ground) is bare of snow

mitakamigide vii the ground is bare of snow from the sun

mitanask na [N] a badger

[
American badger
; 
Taxisea taxus
]

See also: misakakojiish na [S]

mitandan vti eat it plain (without condiments) , eat it without utensils

(detransitive) mitanjige vai s/h etas thingns plain, eats without utensils
mitanjige vai s/h etas thingns plain, eats without utensils

mitaskanige vai s/he is toothless

mitaskindibe vai [BL] s/he is bald

mitaabik adv loc on bare rock or metal, right on the rock or metal

mitaabikaa vii it is bare rock or metal, is just rock or metal

mitaabikide vii it is cooked dry (without grease or water) is grilled

Paired with: mitaabikizo vai

mitaabikizo vai s/he is cooked dry (without grease or water), is grilled

Paired with: mitaabikide vii

mitaagonag adv loc right on the snow

mitaakigane vai s/he is bare-chested, is bare-breasted

mitaakiganeshin vai s/he lies with h/ chest uncovered

mitaakojiidii vai s/he is bare-assed

mitaakondibe vai s/he is bare-headed

mitaakwayawe vai s/he has a bare torso, is naked from the waist up, is topless

mitaakwayaweshimo vai s/he dances with a bare torso, topless

mitaakwazhe vai s/he is naked

mitaakwazhebi vai s/he sits naked

mitaakwazhegaabawi vai s/he stands naked

mitaakwazhengwaami vai [RL] s/he sleeps naked

mitaakwazheshimo vai s/he dances naked

mitaakwazheshin vai s/he lies naked, sleeps naked

mitaamik adv loc right on the bottom of a lake or river

mitaaskiiwe vai s/he is naked; s/he goes skinny-dipping

mitaaskiiwe-bagizo vai [BL] s/he goes skinny-dipping

mitaawang ni sand

mitaawangaa vii it is a sandy beach

mitaawangaagamaa vii it is a sandy lake

mitaawangaamikaa vii there is a sandy bottom

mitaawangokaa vii [N] here is (a lot of) sand

mitaawangwakamigaa vii [NI] it (the ground) is sandy

mitaawiganeshin vai s/he lies with h/ back uncovered

mitig na a tree

(verb of abundance) mitigokaa vai there are (many) trees
mitig ni wood, a piece of wood, a stick

(verb of being) mitigowan vii it is wood, is wooden (verb of being) mitigowi vai s/he is wood, is wooden (verb of possession) omitigomi vai s/he has wood
mitigo-akandoowin ni a hunting stand in a tree

mitigo-desabiwin ni a wooden chair

mitigo-emikwaan ni a wooden spoon, a wooden ladle

See also: mitigwemikwaan ni

mitigo-jiimaan ni a wooden boat or canoe

mitigo-makak ni a wooden box, a crate

mitigo-negwaakwaan ni a wooden tap, spile, spigot (for getting sap from a tree)

See also: negwaakwaan ni

mitigo-waakaa'igan ni a log cabin

mitigo-zisiboojigan ni a rasp

mitigodaabaanaak na a wooden sled or sleigh

mitigokaa vai there are (many) trees

mitigomin ni an acorn

mitigomizh na oak, burr oak

[
Quercus spp.; Quercus macrocarpa
]

(verb of abundance) mitigomizhikaa vii there are (many) oaks; there is an oak grove
mitigomizhikaa vii there are (many) oaks; there is an oak grove

mitigonaagan ni a wooden dish or bowl

mitigoningwiishib na a wood duck

[
Aix sponsa
]

mitigowan vii it is wood, is wooden

mitigowi vai s/he is wood, is wooden

mitigoons ni a stick

mitigwakik na a Mide drum

mitigwakizin ni a dress shoe

mitigwanii'igan ni a deadfall trap

mitigwaab na [NI] [S] a bow

See also: mitigwaab ni [N]

(verb of making) mitigwaabiike vai s/he makes bows mitigwaabiikaw vta make a bow for h/ (verb of possession) omitigwaabii vai s/he has a bow or bows
mitigwaab ni [N] a bow

See also: mitigwaab na [NI] [S]

mitigwaabaak na a hickory

[
shagbark hickory
; 
Carya ovata
]

mitigwaabiikaw vta make a bow for h/

mitigwaabiike vai s/he makes bows

mitigwaagim na a ski

mitigwaagimebizo vai [BL] s/he skis

mitigwemikwaan ni a wooden spoon, a wooden ladle

See also: mitigo-emikwaan ni

mitikwam adv loc right on the ice

mitin vta catch h/ in a violation

mitose vai s/he just walks, has no other means of transportation but walking

mitoode vai s/he just crawls

mitoom vta haul h/ right on the back

Paired with: mitoondan vti

mitoonagabi vai s/he sits right on the bottom of the canoe (with no cushion)

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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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.