Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

mashkawinigaazo vai s/he is held tight (by someone), "they" hold h/ tight

mashkawinige vai s/he holds things tight, holds things with a firm grip

mashkawipogozi vai s/he tastes strong

Paired with: mashkawipogwad vii

mashkawipogwad vii it tastes strong

Paired with: mashkawipogozi vai

mashkawiskawe vai s/he (fish) has firm meat

mashkawitawagewaji vai s/he has a frozen ear or ears

mashkawitoon vti2 make it strong

mashkawizi vai s/he is strong, hard, dense

Paired with: mashkawaa vii

mashkawizidewaji vai s/he has a frozen foot or frozen feet

mashkawizigwaa vii it (ice- or cake-like) is hard, is firm

mashkawizii vai s/he has inner strength; s/he is strong (of a person)

(verb of pretending) mashkawiziikaazo vai s/he pretends to be strong (derived noun) mashkawiziiwin ni a muscle; power
mashkawiziikaazo vai s/he pretends to be strong

mashkawiziiwin ni a muscle; power

mashkawiingwewaji vai s/he has a frozen face

mashkiki ni medicine, a medicine, a drug

(verb of making) mashkikiike vai s/he makes medicine
(applicative) mashkikiikaazh vta doctor h/, treat h/ medically
(verb of being) mashkikiiwi vai s/he is a medicine; s/he has medicine on h/ self
mashkikiwaabo ni [BL] a medicinal tea, liquid medicine

See also: mashkikiwaaboo ni

(verb of making) mashkikiwaabooke vai s/he makes liquid medicine
(applicative) mashkikiwaabookaadan vti make a medicinal tea of it (applicative) mashkikiwaabookaazh vta make a medicinal tea of h/
mashkikiwaaboo ni a medicinal tea, liquid medicine

See also: mashkikiwaabo ni [BL]

(verb of making) mashkikiwaabooke vai s/he makes liquid medicine
mashkikiwaabookaw vta make liquid medicine for h/

mashkikiwaabookaadan vti make a medicinal tea of it

Paired with: mashkikiwaabookaazh vta

mashkikiwaabookaazh vta make a medicinal tea of h/

Paired with: mashkikiwaabookaadan vti

mashkikiwaabooke vai s/he makes liquid medicine

mashkikiwaabookaw vta make liquid medicine for h/
mashkikii-adaawewigamig ni a pharmacy, a drugstore

mashkikii-adaawewinini na a pharmacist, a druggist

mashkikiikaagen vai + o s/he uses it for medicine

mashkikiikaazh vta doctor h/, treat h/ medically

mashkikiike vai s/he makes medicine

mashkikiins ni a pill

mashkikiiwadaawewigamig ni a pharmacy, a drugstore

mashkikiiwi vai s/he is a medicine; s/he has medicine on h/ self

mashkikiiwikwe na a nurse (female)

(verb of being) mashkikiiwikwewi vai she is a nurse
mashkikiiwikwewi vai she is a nurse

mashkikiiwinini na a doctor; a physician

(verb of being) mashkikiiwininiiwi vai he is a doctor, is a physician
mashkikiiwininiikwe na a doctor (female), a physician (female)

mashkikiiwininiiwi vai he is a doctor, is a physician

mashkimod ni a bag, a sack

(verb of possession) omashkimodaa vai s/he has a bag or bags, has a sack or sacks (verb of making) mashkimodeke vai s/he makes a bag, makes a sack
mashkimodegwaadan vti sew it as a bag

(derived noun) mashkimodegwaajigan ni a pocket
mashkimodegwaajigan ni a pocket

mashkimodeke vai s/he makes a bag, makes a sack

mashkimodens ni a small bag: a wallet, a coin purse, a pouch, an envelope

mashkiig ni [N] a swamp, a muskeg

(verb of abundance) mashkiigokaa vii there are muskegs, it is marshy
mashkiigimin ni lowbush cranberry

[
small cranberry, cranberry
; 
Oxycoccus quadripetalus
]

mashkiigiminaganzh ni a lowbush cranberry bush

mashkiigiminagaawanzh ni [ML] a lowbush cranberry bush

[
small cranberry, cranberry
; 
Oxycoccus quadripetalus
]

mashkiigimini-bakwezhigan na cranberry bannock

mashkiigimini-baashkiminasigan ni cranberry sauce

mashkiigobag ni Labrador tea

[
Rhododendron groenlandicum
]

mashkiigobagwaabo ni [BL] swamp tea

See also: mashkiigobagwaaboo ni

mashkiigobagwaaboo ni swamp tea

mashkiigokamig ni peat moss, sphagnum moss

See also: mashkiigwakamig ni

mashkiigokaa vii there are muskegs, it is marshy

mashkiigomizh na a tamarack

See also: mashkiigwaatig na

mashkiigwakamig ni peat moss, sphagnum moss

See also: mashkiigokamig ni

mashkiigwakamigaa vii it is swampy ground

mashkiigwaabo ni [BL] swamp water

mashkiigwaagamaa vii there is a swampy lake

mashkiigwaatig na a tamarack

[
Larix laricina
]

(verb of abundance) mashkiigwaatigokaa vii there are (many) tamaracks
mashkiigwaatigokaa vii there are (many) tamaracks

mashkode ni a prairie, a plain, a natural clearing

mashkode-bizhiki na a bison; a buffalo

[
American bison
; 
Bison bison
]

mashkode-bizhiki-wiiyaas ni buffalo meat

mashkode-bizhikiwayaan na a buffalo hide

mashkodese na a spruce grouse

[
Dendragapus canadensis
]

mashkodese-nagwaagan ni a spruce hen snare

mashkodesimin na a bean

See also: mashkodiisimin na

mashkodesiminaaboo ni bean soup

mashkodiisimin na a bean

See also: mashkodesimin na

mashkosi ni [N] grass, hay, a blade of grass

See also: mashkosiw ni

(verb of abundance) mashkosiikaa vii there is a lot of hay, a meadow (verb of making) mashkosiike vai s/he cuts hay
mashkosiw ni grass, hay, a blade of grass

See also: mashkosi ni [N]

(verb of abundance) mashkosiikaa vii there is a lot of hay, a meadow (verb of making) mashkosiike vai s/he cuts hay
mashkosiigaan ni a lodge of grass

mashkosiikaa vii there is a lot of hay, a meadow

mashkosiike vai s/he cuts hay

mashkosiinsiwakamigaa vii it (the ground) is grassy

mashkosiiwakamigaa vii it (the ground) is grassy (with high grass)

mashkosiiwitigweyaa vii it is a grassy river

mashwe na [LL] [RL] a shawl

See also: moshwe na [ML]

mashwens na [LL] [RL] a handkerchief

See also: moshwens ni

mawadisidiwag vai they visit each other

mawadish vta visit h/

(detransitive) mawadishiwe vai s/he visits people (reciprocal) mawadisidiwag vai they visit each other
mawadishiwe vai s/he visits people

mawi vai s/he cries, weeps

(verb of pretending) mawikaazo vai s/he pretends to cry (verb of addiction) mawishki vai s/he is a crybaby (causative) moo' vta make h/ cry
mawibii vai s/he cries while drinking

mawikaazo vai s/he pretends to cry

mawim vta cry for h/

Paired with: mawindan vti

mawinada' vta pursue, head for h/ in a boat or canoe; make a course for h/

mawinada'wi vta

► mawinada' vta

mawinadan vti run at, rush at, charge it

Paired with: mawinazh vta

mawinanidiwag vai they rush at, charge, attack each other; they rush at, charge, attack in a group

mawinazh vta run at, rush at, charge, attack h/

Paired with: mawinadan vti

(detransitive) mawinazhiwe vai s/he runs at, rushes at people (reciprocal) mawinanidiwag vai they rush at, charge, attack each other; they rush at, charge, attack in a group
mawinazhiwe vai s/he runs at, rushes at people

mawindamaw vta cry for something of h/

mawindamaage vai s/he cries for something (that someone has)

mawindan vti cry for it

Paired with: mawim vta

(benefactive) mawindamaw vta cry for something of h/
(detransitive) mawindamaage vai s/he cries for something (that someone has)
mawine' vta charge, challenge, attack h/

Paired with: mawine'an vti

(reciprocal) mawine'odiwag vai they charge, challenge, attack each other
mawine'an vti charge, challenge, attack it

Paired with: mawine' vta ; mawine'wi vta [NI]

(detransitive) mawine'ige vai s/he confronts someone, attacks, goes after someone with vengance
mawine'ige vai s/he confronts someone, attacks, goes after someone with vengance

mawine'odiwag vai they charge, challenge, attack each other

mawine'wi vta [NI]

► mawine' vta

mawingwaam vai [S] s/he cries in h/ sleep

mawingwaami vai [N] s/he cries in h/ sleep

See also: mawingwaami vai [N]

mawingwaamo vai [BL] s/he cries in h/ sleep

See also: mawingwaam vai [S] ; mawingwaami vai [N]

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.