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namadabi vai s/he sits

(causative) namadabi' vta make h/ sit
namadabi' vta make h/ sit

namadabingwaami vai [RL] s/he sleeps sitting up

namadakide vii it stands upright

Paired with: namadakizo vai

namadakizo vai it (animate) is upright, stands upright

Paired with: namadakide vii

namadinan vti hold it upright; put it upright

namajigaabawi vai s/he stands upright (as an animal)

namajisidoon vti2 set it upright

Paired with: namajishim vta

namajisin vii it lies upright

Paired with: namajishin vai

namajishim vta set h/ upright

Paired with: namajisidoon vti2

namajishin vai s/he lies upright

Paired with: namajisin vii

namanj adv dub I don't know how, I wonder how

See also: amanj adv dub

namanj apii adv dub I don't know when, I wonder when

See also: amanj apii adv dub

namanjaya'ii adv loc on the left side of something

namanjigaad ni a left leg

namanjinik ni a left hand

namanjinikaan ni left arm

namanjinike vai s/he is left-handed

namanjizid ni a left foot

namanjii vai s/he is left-handed

name na a sturgeon

[
lake sturgeon
; 
Acipenser fulvescens
]

(verb of abundance) namekaa vii there are (many) sturgeon
name-wewebanaabaan ni a sturgeon hook

namebin na a sucker (fish)

[
white sucker
; 
Catostomus commersoni
]

(verb of abundance) namebinikaa vii there are (many) suckers
namebini-giizis na February

namebinikaa vii there are (many) suckers

namediyeshin s/he leaves an imprint of h/ seat in or on something

namegos na a lake trout

[
lake trout
; 
Salvelinus namaycush
]

namegosikaa vii there are (many) lake trout
namegosikaa vii there are (many) lake trout

name' vta find a sign of h/ presence

namekaa vii there are (many) sturgeon

namekwaan ni [BL] glue; rubber

namekwaanakizin ni [BL] a rubber boot

nameninjiishin vai s/he leaves a hand or finger mark in or on something

namepin na wild ginger

[
Asarum canadense
]

namesin vii it leaves signs of its presence, there are signs of its presence

Paired with: nameshin vai

nameshin vai s/he leaves signs of h/ presence, there are signs of h/ presence

Paired with: namesin vii

nameteg na [BL] dried fish

(verb of making) nametegoke vai s/he makes nameteg
(applicative) nametegokaazh vta make nameteg of h/
nametegokaazh vta make nameteg of h/

nametegoke vai s/he makes nameteg

nametoo vai s/he leaves signs of h/ presence

namewasab na a sturgeon net

namewi-bimide ni sturgeon grease

nanagamo vai s/he keeps singing, sings on and off

nanagin vta hold h/ back; prevent h/ (from doing something)

(detransitive) nanaginiwe vai s/he breaks up a fight
nanaginiwe vai s/he breaks up a fight

nanaginiwewinini na a referee

nanaginiwewininiiwi vai s/he is a referee
nanaginiwewininiiwi vai s/he is a referee

nanaweyaasin vii it keeps bending over in the wind

Paired with: nanaweyaashi vai

nanaweyaashi vai iy (animate) keeps bending over in the wind

Paired with: nanaweyaasin vii

nanawizh vta butcher h/; cut h/ up

nanawizi vai s/he gets nothing in the hunt; s/he wastes effort, is disappointed

nanaabagizide vai s/he has flat feet

nanaa'endam vai2 s/he feels satisfied (with the outcome of some change or correction)

nanaa'endan vti feel satisfied with it

Paired with: nanaa'enim vta

nanaa'enim vta feel satisfied with h/

Paired with: nanaa'endan vti

nanaa'ichigaade vii it is fixed, repaired (by someone), "they" fix, repair it

nanaa'ichigaazo vai s/he is fixed, repaired (by someone), "they" fix, repair h/

nanaa'ichige vai s/he fixes, repairs things

nanaa'ichigewinini na a repairman

nanaa'idaabaane vai s/he repairs a car

nanaa'idaabaanewinini na an automobile mechanic

nanaa'idaabaanikaw vta fix h/ car for h/

nanaa'idaabaanike vai s/he fixes cars

nanaa'idaabaanikewinini na an automobile mechanic

nanaa'i' vta fix, repair h/; put h/ in place

Paired with: nanaa'itoon vti2

nanaa'in vta fix, repair h/; put h/ away; put h/ in order

Paired with: nanaa'inan vti

nanaa'inan vti fix it; put it in order, put it away

Paired with: nanaa'in vta

(detransitive) nanaa'inige vai s/he puts things in order, puts things away, fixes things
nanaa'inige vai s/he puts things in order, puts things away, fixes things

nanaa'itamaw vta fix, repair (it) for h/

See also: nanaa'itaw vta

nanaa'itaw vta fix, repair (it) for h/

See also: nanaa'itamaw vta

nanaa'itoon vti2 fix, repair it

Paired with: nanaa'i' vta

(benefactive) nanaa'itaw vta fix, repair (it) for h/ (benefactive) nanaa'itamaw vta fix, repair (it) for h/ (detransitive) nanaa'ichige vai s/he fixes, repairs things (verb of undergoing) nanaa'ichigaade vii it is fixed, repaired (by someone), "they" fix, repair it (verb of undergoing) nanaa'ichigaazo vai s/he is fixed, repaired (by someone), "they" fix, repair h/
nanaa'ii vai s/he is dressed up

nanaakom vta answer h/ repeatedly

nanaakon vta fight h/ back

nanaakwetam vai2 s/he answers someone repeatedly; s/he quarrels, argues with someone

nanaakwetan vti answer it repeatedly

nanaakwetaw vta answer h/ repeatedly; quarrel with, argue with h/

(reciprocal) nanaakwetaadiwag vai they answer each other back and forth; they quarrel with, argue with each other
nanaakwetaadiwag vai they answer each other back and forth; they quarrel with, argue with each other

nanaakwii vai s/he defends; s/he fights back

nanaamadabi vai s/he sits for a while

nanaandawawinzo vai s/he looks all over for berries to pick

nanaandawi' vta heal, doctor h/

(reflexive) nanaandawi'idizo vai s/he doctors h/ self (detransitive) nanaandawi'iwe vai s/he heals, doctors people
nanaandawi'iwewin ni traditional healing
nanaandawi'idizo vai s/he doctors h/ self

nanaandawi'iwe vai s/he heals, doctors people

nanaandawi'iwe-nagamo vai s/he sings a healing song

nanaandawi'iwe-nagamon ni a healing song
nanaandawi'iwe-nagamon ni a healing song

nanaandawi'iwewin ni traditional healing

nanaandom vta beg h/; keep calling for h/

nanaandomo vai s/he seeks help, seeks healing, seeks treatment

nanaandotam vai2 s/he listens around for something

nanaandwaabaso vai s/he sniffs around for the aroma

nanaapaadakizine vai s/he has shoes on the wrong feet

nanaapaadendam vai2 s/he is contrary, disagrees with people

nanaapaajizide vai h/ feet turn out

nanaapaajizidekawe vai s/he leaves tracks with the feet turned-out

nanaapaazitam vai2 s/he does the opposite of what is told, acts contrary to instructions

nanda- pv lex look for; seek

nanda-gikendan vti seek to know it, seek to learn it

Paired with: nanda-gikenim vta

nanda-gikenim vta seek to know h/

Paired with: nanda-gikendan vti

nanda-mikwendan vti try to think of it, try to remember it

Paired with: nanda-mikwenim vta

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.