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niimiminjikaawane vai s/he takes along mittens or gloves

niimimitigwaabii vai s/he takes a bow along

niimimiijime vai s/he takes along food

niimin vta hold h/ out

Paired with: niiminan vti

niiminagwaagane vai s/he takes along a snare or snares

niiminamaw vta hold (it) out to or for h/, hand (it) over to h/

niiminan vti hold it out

Paired with: niimin vta

(benefactive) niiminamaw vta hold (it) out to or for h/, hand (it) over to h/
niimipwaagane vai s/he takes along a pipe or pipes

niimishkodensiwe vai s/he takes along matches

niimiwaagaakwadwe vai s/he takes along an ax or axes

niimizhiiwitaagane vai s/he takes along salt

niimizhooniyaawe vai s/he takes money along

niimoobii vai s/he takes water or another liquid along

niin pron per I, me

See also: gaye niin pron per ; geniin pron per

niineta pron per only I, only me; just me niinitam pron per my turn, me next
niinag nid my penis

niinamad vii

Paired with: niinamizi vai

niinamaabikad vii it (mineral) is weak

Paired with: niinamaabikizi vai

niinamaabikizi vai s/he (mineral) is weak

Paired with: niinamaabikad vii

niinamaakozi vai s/he (stick-like) is weak

Paired with: niinamaakwad vii

niinamaakwad vii it (stick-like) is weak, not well put together

Paired with: niinamaakozi vai

niinamaakwaabogo vai it (animate; stick-like) moves unsteadily in the water

niinamendan vti think it weak

See also: niinamenim vta

niinamenim vta think h/ weak

Paired with: niinamendan vti

niinamimaagwad vii it has a faint smell

niinaminaagozi vai s/he looks weak

Paired with: niinaminaagwad vii

niinaminaagwad vii it looks weak

Paired with: niinaminaagozi vai

niinamitaagozi vai s/he sounds weak

Paired with: niinamitaagwad vii

niinamitaagwad vii it sounds weak

Paired with: niinamitaagozi vai

niinamizi vai s/he is weak, is fragile, is frail

Paired with: niinamad vii

niinawind pron per we, us

See also: gaye niinawind pron per ; geniinawind pron per

niinetawind pron per only we, only us; just us (inclusive) niinitamawind pron per our turn, us next [exclusive]
niindaa' vta send (it) to h/

(detransitive) niindaa'iwe vai s/he sends (it) to people
niindaa'iwe vai s/he sends (it) to people

niineta pron per only I, only me; just me

niinetawind pron per only we, only us; just us (inclusive)

niingidawaa vii it is forked, forks

Paired with: niingidawizi vai

niingidawitigweyaa vii it (a river) forks

niingidawizi vai s/he is forked, forks

niingidoomon vii road forks

niingidootigweyaa vii the river forks, has a fork in it

niinim nad (if I am male) my sister-in-law; (if I am female) my brother-in-law

niinimoshenh nad my cross-cousin (of the opposite sex to me): my mother's brother's child, my father's sister's child; my sweetheart

niinindib nid my brain

niinitam pron per my turn, me next

niinitamawind pron per our turn, us next [exclusive]

niinizis nid my (strand of) hair

niinzob nid my gall bladder

niisa'an vti lower it (using something); set it (trap) off, snap it (trap)

niisaya'ii adv loc
  1. downstairs
  2. down

niisayi'ii adv loc
  1. down
  2. downstairs

niisaabiigin vta lower h/ on a rope

Paired with: niisaabiiginan vti

niisaabiiginamaw vta lower (it) on a rope to or for h/

niisaabiiginan vti lower it on a rope

Paired with: niisaabiigin vta

(benefactive) niisaabiiginamaw vta lower (it) on a rope to or for h/ (detransitive) niisaabiiginige vai s/he lowers something on a rope (verb of undergoing) niisaabiiginigaade vii it is lowered on a rope (by someone), "they" lower it on a rope (verb of undergoing) niisaabiiginigaazo vai s/he is lowered on a rope (by someone), "they" lower h/ on a rope
niisaabiiginigaade vii it is lowered on a rope (by someone), "they" lower it on a rope

niisaabiiginigaazo vai s/he is lowered on a rope (by someone), "they" lower h/ on a rope

niisaabiiginige vai s/he lowers something on a rope

niisaaboodoon vti2 float it down the rapids

Paired with: niisaaboozh vta

(detransitive) niisaaboojige vai s/he floats something down the rapids
niisaaboojige vai s/he floats something down the rapids

niisaaboono vai s/he goes downstream on the rapids or another medium (snow, sand, etc.)

niisaaboozh vta float h/ down the rapids

Paired with: niisaaboodoon vti2

niisaagone'an vti knock the snow down off it

niisaagone'ige vai s/he knocks the snow down

niisaajiwan adv loc downstream; below the rapids

niisaajiwanong adv loc downstream; below the rapids

niisaajiwanwe'o vai s/he canoes downstream

niisaajiwanwekwazhiwe vai s/he paddles downstream

niisaaki adv loc down the hill; downhill

niisaakiiwe vai s/he goes downhill

niisaakiiwebatoo vai s/he runs downhill

niisaakiiwebide vii it speeds, drives, flies, falls downhill

Paired with: niisaakiiwebizo vai

niisaakiiwebin vta throw h/ downhill

Paired with: niisaakiiwebinan vti

niisaakiiwebinan vti throw it downhill

Paired with: niisaakiiwebin vta

niisaakiiwebizo vai s/he speeds, drives, flies, falls downhill

Paired with: niisaakiiwebide vii

niisaakiiwedaabaadan vti drag it downhill

Paired with: niisaakiiwedaabaazh vta

niisaakiiwedaabaazh vta drag h/ downhill

Paired with: niisaakiiwedaabaadan vti

niisaakiiwedaabii vai s/he drags a load downhill

(applicative) niisaakiiwedaabaadan vti drag it downhill (applicative) niisaakiiwedaabaazh vta drag h/ downhill
niisaakiiwekamigaa vii it (the ground) slopes downwards

niisaakiiwemon vii it (road or trail) leads downhill

niisaakiiwenige vai s/he carries something downhill on the shoulders

niisaakiiwenizhikaw vta chase h/ downhill

(reciprocal) niisaakiiwenizhikodaadiwag vai they chase each other downhill
niisaakiiwenizhikodaadiwag vai they chase each other downhill

niisaakiiwewidoon vti2 take, carry it downhill

Paired with: niisaakiiwewizh vta

niisaakiiwewizh vta take, carry h/ downhill

Paired with: niisaakiiwewidoon vti2

niisaandawe vai s/he climbs down, goes downstairs

niisaandawebatoo vai s/he runs down, runs downstairs

niisaandawebizo vai s/he goes down (under power, as in an elevator)

niisaandawe' vta get h/ down

niisaandawenizhikaw vta chase h/ down something (a stairway, a tree)

niisaandawewidoon vti2 climb down with it

Paired with: niisaandawewizh vta

niisaandawewizh vta climb down with h/; take h/ downstairs

Paired with: niisaandawewidoon vti2

niisaandaweyoode vai s/he climbs down crawling, crawls downstairs

niisaanendam vai s/he feels depressed

niisaasin vii it is blown downwards (by the wind); sails, soars downwards

Paired with: niisaashi vai

niisaashi vai s/he is blown downwards (by the wind); sails, soars downwards

Paired with: niisaasin vii

niisi- pv lex down from

niisi-baawitig adv loc under the rapids

niisibide vii it speeds, flies, falls lower

Paired with: niisibizo vai

niisibidoon vti2 pull it down, tear it down

Paired with: niisibizh vta

niisibizh vta pull h/ down, tear h/ down

Paired with: niisibidoon vti2

niisibizo vai s/he speeds, flies, falls lower

Paired with: niisibide vii

niisigwaashkwani vai s/he jumps down lower

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.