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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

nishwaasogonii vai s/he fasts for three days

nishwaasomidano adv num [RL] eighty

See also: ishwaasimidana adv num ; nishwaasimidana adv num

nishwaasonaaganens adv num [BL] eight cups, cupfuls

nishwaasonaagaans adv num eight cups, cupfuls

See also: ishwaasonaagaans adv num

nishwaasoninj adv num eight inches

See also: ishwaasoninj adv num

nishwaasosagoons adv num eight thousand

See also: ishwaasosagoons adv num

nishwaasozid adv num eight feet

See also: ishwaasozid adv num

nishwaasoobiwag vai eight of them sit together; eight of them are at home

nishwaasoobii'igan na an eight (card)

See also: ishwaasoobii'igan na

nishwaasoogaabawiwag vai eight of them stand together

nishwaasookik adv num eight pails, eight pailfuls

nishwaasoonag adv num eight boats or canoes, eight boatloads

See also: ishwaasoonag adv num

nishwaasoopidewan vii eight of them (inanimate) are tied together

Paired with: nishwaasoopizowag vai

nishwaasoopidoon vti2 tie eight of them (inanimate) together

Paired with: nishwaasoopizh vta

nishwaasoopizh vta tie, hitch eight of them (animate) together

nishwaasoopizowag vai eight of them (animate) are tied together, are hitched together

Paired with: nishwaasoopidewan vii

nishwaasooshinoog vai eight of them lie together

nishwaasooshkimod adv num eight bags

nishwaasooshkin adv num eight bags

See also: ishwaasooshkin adv num

nishwaaswaginzo vai [BL] it is the eighth (of the month)

nishwaaswaabik adv num eight dollars

See also: ishwaaswaabik adv num

nishwaaswaak adv num eight hundred

See also: ishwaaswaak adv num

nishwaasweg adv num eight pieces of something sheet-like

See also: ishwaasweg adv num

nishwaaswemikwaanens adv num eight spoons

nishwaaswewaan adv num eight pairs; eight sets

See also: ishwaaswewaan adv num

nishwaaswi adv num eight

See also: ishwaaswi adv num ; nishwaaso adv num [RL]

nita'am vai2 s/he goes upriver against the current

nita'ibidoon vti2 s/he pulls it upstream

nitam adv loc first

nitamaw vta kill (it) for h/

nitamaya'ii adv loc in the first place

nitamaage vai s/he kills (something) of people or for people

nitamaazo vai s/he kills (something) for h/ self

nitamigaabawi vai s/he stands at head of the line

nitamige vai s/he lives in the first house

nitaminikaazo vai s/he has a first name

(derived noun) nitaminikaazowin ni a first name
nitaminikaazowin ni a first name

nitamoozhaan na an eldest child; a first-born child

nitawag nid my ear

nitaa- pv lex being good at; being skilled at; frequently do; know how to do something

nitaage vai s/he kills game, kills people, murders; s/he mourns

(derived noun) nitaagewin ni killing, murder
nitaagewin ni killing, murder

nitaawashkime vai s/he weaves snowshoe webbing skilfully

nitaawaada'e vai s/he knows how to skate

nitaawe vai s/he is skilled in speaking or singing

nitaawibii'an vti know how to write it

(detransitive) nitaawibii'ige vai s/he knows how to write
nitaawibii'ige vai s/he knows how to write

nitaawichige vai s/he is skilled at something, knows how to make things

nitaawigi vai s/he is born; s/he grows, grows up

Paired with: nitaawigin vii

nitaawigi' vta grow, raise h/

Paired with: nitaawigitoon vti2

nitaawigi'aawaso vai s/he raises a child or children

nitaawigin vii it grows, grows up

Paired with: nitaawigi vai

nitaawiginaawaso vai s/he bears a child or children; s/he gives birth

nitaawigitoon vti2 grow, raise it

Paired with: nitaawigi' vta

nitaawigwaaso vai s/he knows how to sew

nitaawi' vta know how to make h/

Paired with: nitaawitoon vti2

nitaawitoon vti2 know how to make, work on, operate it

Paired with: nitaawi' vta

(detransitive) nitaawichige vai s/he is skilled at something, knows how to make things
nitaawose vai s/he is good at walking, knows how to walk well

nitigwaan nid [BL] my head

See also: nishtigwaan nid

nitii ni [N] tea (the drink)

nitiike vai [N] s/he makes tea
nitiikaw vta [BL] make tea for h/

nitiikaan ni [BL] tea (liquid)

nitiike vai [N] s/he makes tea

nitiiwakik na [N] a tea kettle

nitiiwakikoons na [N] a teapot

nitiiwinaaganens ni [BL] a teacup

nitoon vti2 kill it, catch and kill it

Paired with: nishi vta

(benefactive) nitamaw vta kill (it) for h/
(detransitive) nitamaage vai s/he kills (something) of people or for people nitamaazo vai s/he kills (something) for h/ self
niwiiw nad my wife

niy= pf I, me [the one or ones speaking, the first person]; my [the one or ones speaking, the first person]

nizid nid my foot

See also: inzid nid

nizigos nad my aunt (cross-aunt: father's sister)

nizigozis nad my mother-in-law

nizhinis nad [N] my father-in-law

See also: nizinis nad

nizinis nad my father-in-law

See also: nizhinis nad [N]

nizhiigan nid the small of my back; (the upper part of) my rump, rear end

niibawi vai s/he stands

niibawi' vta make h/ stand up

Paired with: niibawitoon vti2

niibawingwaami vai s/he sleeps standing up

niibawitoon vti2 make it stand up

Paired with: niibawi' vta

niibaa- pv lex at night

niibaa-anama'e-giizhigad vii it is Christmas

niibaa-dibik adv tmp late at night

niibaabatoo vai s/he runs at night

niibaabi vai s/he sits up at night

See also: niibebi vai

niibaabizo vai s/he drives at night

niibaabiitaw vta have wake for h/; sit up with h/ at night

niibaadaabii'iwe vai s/he drives at night

niibaakamigad vii it happens at night

Paired with: niibaakamigizi vai

niibaakamigizi vai s/he is active at night

Paired with: niibaakamigad vii

niibaakwazhiwe vai s/he paddles at night

niibaashkaa vai s/he goes out at night, travels at night

niibaataa vai s/he works into the night

niibebi vai s/he holds a wake, sits up at a wake

niibidebiwag vai they sit side by side in a row

niibidegaabawiwag vai they stand in a row

niibidegoodewan vii they hang in a row

See also: niibidegoojinoog vai

niibidegoodoon vti2 hang it in a row

Paired with: niibidegoozh vta

niibidegoojinoog vai they hang in a row

Paired with: niibidegoodewan vii

niibidegoozh vta hang h/ in row

Paired with: niibidegoodoon vti2

niibide'oodewan vii they (inanimate) are strung in row

Paired with: niibide'oozowag vai

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.