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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

noojiwigiizhwaam vta talk flirtatiously to h/

noojiwigiizhwaandiwag vai they talk flirtatiously to each othe

noojiwigiizhwe vai s/he talks flirtatiously

nookabi vai s/he sits on a soft seat

(derived noun) nookabiwin ni an easy chair
nookabiwin ni an easy chair

nookada' vta pound it (animate) soft; soften it (animate) (by hitting with something)

Paired with: nookada'an vti

nookada'an vti pound it soft; soften it (by hitting with something)

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

nookada'wi vta [NI]

► nookada' vta

nookadin vii it is frozen soft (as dangerous ice)

nookagwinjidoon vti soften it in water

nooka'an vti soften it (using something)

nooka'iiwagwaan ni pemmican; pounded meat

nooka'iiwagwe vai s/he pounds meat, makes pemmican

(derived noun) nooka'iiwagwaan ni pounded meat; pemmican
nookakamigaa vii it is soft ground

nookam vta soften h/ in the mouth

nookandan vti soften it in the mouth

Paired with: nookam vta

(detransitive) nookanjige vai s/he softens things in the mouth
nookanjige vai s/he softens things in the mouth

nookaa vii it is soft, is tender

Paired with: nookizi vai

nookaabaawadoon vti2 soften it in water

Paired with: nookaabaawazh vta

nookaabaawazh vta soften h/ in water

Paired with: nookaabaawadoon vti2

nookaabaawe vai s/he softens in water

Paired with: nookaabaawe vii

nookaabaawe vii it softens in water

Paired with: nookaabaawe vai

(applicative) nookaabaawadoon vti2 soften it in water (applicative) nookaabaawazh vta soften h/ in water
nookaabikad vii it (mineral) is soft

Paired with: nookaabikizi vai

nookaabikiz vta soften h/ (mineral) with heat

Paired with: nookaabikizan vti

nookaabikizan vti soften it (mineral) with heat

Paired with: nookaabikiz vta

nookaabikizi vai s/he (mineral) is soft

Paired with: nookaabikad vii

nookaabiigad vii it is soft (string-like)

Paired with: nookaabiigizi vai

nookaabiigizi vai s/he is soft (string-like)

Paired with: nookaabiigad vii

nookaadad vii it is mild

Paired with: nookaadizi vai

nookaadizi vai s/he has a good, easy life

Paired with: nookaadad vii

(derived noun) nookaadiziwin ni a good, easy life
nookaadiziwin ni a good, easy life

nookaagamin vii it is a mild or weak liquid

nookaagin vta soften it (animate) by bending or flexing it

Paired with: nookaaginan vta

nookaaginan vta soften it by bending or flexing it

Paired with: nookaagin vta

nookaagonagaa vii there is soft snow

nookaakide vii it softens by heat or flame

Paired with: nookaakizo vai

nookaakiz vta soften h/ by heat or flame

Paired with: nookaakizan vti

nookaakizan vti soften it by heat or flame

Paired with: nookaakiz vta

nookaakizo vai s/he softens by heat or flame

Paired with: nookaakide vii

nookibidoon vti2 soften it by working it with the hands

Paired with: nookibizh vta

(detransitive) nookibijige vai s/he softens things by working them with the hands
nookibijige vai s/he softens things by working them with the hands

nookibizh vta soften h/ by working h/ with the hands

Paired with: nookibidoon vti2

nookide vii it is cooked tender

Paired with: nookizo vai

nookijiishkiwagaa vii it is soft mud

nookijiiyaa vii it (something bag-like, belly-like) is soft

Paired with: nookijiizi vai

nookijiizi vai s/he is soft-bellied; it (animate; something bag-like, belly-like) is soft

Paired with: nookijiiyaa vii

nookiminagad vii it (something small and round) is soft

nookiskawe vai s/he (fish) has soft meat

nookishkan vti soften it with body weight or feet

Paired with: nookishkaw vta

nookishkaw vta soften h/ with body weight or feet

Paired with: nookishkan vti

nookishkige vai s/he softens things with body weight or feet

nookiz vta cook h/ tender

Paired with: nookizan vti

nookizan vti cook it tender

Paired with: nookiz vta

nookizi vai s/he is soft, is tender

Paired with: nookaa vii

nookizigwaa vii there is soft ice

nookizo vai s/he is cooked tender

Paired with: nookide vii

nookizwi vta [BL]

► nookiz vta

nookiigad vii it is soft (as something sheet-like)

Paired with: nookiigizi vai

nookiigizi vai s/he is soft (as something sheet-like)

Paired with: nookiigad vii

nookiiwagad vii it is tender meat, has tender meat

Paired with: nookiiwagizi vai

nookiiwagizi vai s/he has tender meat

Paired with: nookiiwagad vii

nooko nad [BL] gramma

See also: nookoo nad

nookomis nad my grandmother

nookoo nad gramma

See also: nookomis nad ; nooko nad [BL]

nookwez vta smudge h/ medicinally

Paired with: nookwezan vti

(reflexive) nookwezodizo vai s/he smudges h/ self medicinally
nookwezan vti smudge it medicinally

Paired with: nookwez vta

(detransitive) nookwezige vai s/he smudges things medicinally (derived noun) nookwezigan ni a medicine for burning to make a smudge
nookwezigan ni a medicine for burning to make a smudge

nookwezige vai s/he smudges things medicinally

nookwezo vai s/he inhales medicinal vapors; s/he is smudged

nookwezodizo vai s/he smudges h/ self medicinally

nookwezwi vta [NI]

► nookwez vta

noomag adv tmp for a long time; for a spell; for a while

noomagebi vai s/he sits for a while

noomakwaan ni hair dressing

noomakwii vai s/he dresses h/ (own) hair

noomakwii' vta dress h/ hair

noomaya adv tmp recently; a little while ago; a while ago

noomazhaan ni [RL] something oily applied to the skin: skin cream, lotion, liniment

noomazhe vai [RL] s/he applies something oily to the skin: skin cream, lotion, linement

(derived noun) noomazhaan ni [RL] something oily applied to the skin: skin cream, lotion, liniment
noomaabikin vta lubricate h/

Paired with: noomaabikinan vti

noomaabikinan vti lubricate it

Paired with: noomaabikin vta

(detransitive) noomaabikinige vai s/he lubricate things (verb of undergoing) noomaabikinigaade vii it is lubricated (by someone), "they" lubricate it
noomaabikinigan ni lubricant for a machine or vehicle

noomaabikinigaade vii it is lubricated (by someone), "they" lubricate it

noomaabikinige vai s/he lubricate things

noomin vta grease, oil h/

Paired with: noominan vti

noominamaw vta grease, oil (it) for h/

noominan vti grease, oil it

Paired with: noomin vta

(benefactive) noominamaw vta grease, oil (it) for h/ (passive) noominige vai s/he greases, oils things (verb of undergoing) noominigaade vii it is greased, oiled (by someone), "they" grease, oil it
noominigaade vii it is greased, oiled (by someone), "they" grease, oil it

noominige vai s/he greases, oils things

noomininjii vai s/he applies lotion on h/ (own) hand or hands

(derived noun) noomininjiiwin ni [RL] hand lotion
noomininjiiwin ni [RL] hand lotion

noonabi vai s/he has no room to sit

noona'oozo vai s/he doesn't fit through something

noonashkina' vta don't have enough room for h/ in something

Paired with: noonashkinatoon vti2

noonashkinatoon vti2 not have enough room for it in a container

Paired with: noonashkina' vta

noonashkine vai s/he does not fit in something

Paired with: noonashkine vii

noonashkine vii it idoes not fit in something

Paired with: noonashkine vai

noonaajiganimooday ni a baby bottle

noonaawaso vai s/he nurses a baby

noondam vai2 s/he hears

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.