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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

nasaaboode vii it wash out

nase'an vti stir it to form sugar

(detransitive) nase'ige vai s/he stirs to form sugar (derived noun) nase'igan ni granulated maple sugar
nase'igan ni granulated maple sugar

nase'ige vai s/he stirs to form sugar

naseyaawangwaan ni a sugaring trough

naseyaawangwe vai s/he granulates sugar

(derived noun) naseyaawangwaan ni a sugaring trough
nashke pc disc look!

See also: inashke pc disc ; ashke pc interj

nashke giniin pc disc look!

nawadam vta take a bite of h/; take hold of h/ in mouth

Paired with: nawadandan vti

nawadandan vti take a bite of it; take hold of it in h/ mouth

Paired with: nawadam vta

(detransitive) nawadanjige vai s/he takes hold of things in h/ mouth. takes a bite of things
nawadanjige vai s/he takes hold of things in h/ mouth. takes a bite of things

nawadide vii it catches fire

Paired with: nawadizo vai

nawadin vta grab, seize h/

Paired with: nawadinan vti

(detransitive) nawadiniwe vai s/he grabs, seizes people; s/he takes captives (reciprocal) nawadinidiwag vai they grab each other
nawadinamaw vta grab (it) of h/; seize (it) of h/

nawadinan vti grab, seize it

Paired with: nawadin vta

(detransitive) nawadinige vai s/he grabs, seizes something (benefactive) nawadinamaw vta grab (it) of h/; seize (it) of h/
nawadinidiwag vai they grab each other

nawadinige vai s/he grabs, seizes something

nawadiniwe vai s/he takes captives

nawadizo vai s/he catches fire

Paired with: nawadide vii

nawagikwebi vai s/he sits with h/ head down

nawagikwegaabawi vai s/he stands with head down

nawagikweni vai s/he puts h/ head down, bows h/ head, nods h/ head

nawagikweshimo vai s/he dances with h/ head down

nawagikwetaw vta bow head to h/

nawaj adv deg more

nawaj igo adv deg somewhat more

nawajibidoon vti2 grab, seize it

Paired with: nawajibizh vta

nawajibizh vta grab, seize h/

Paired with: nawajibidoon vti2

nawajii vai s/he eats a light meal, takes a lunch break

nawapo vai s/he takes provisions along, takes a lunch along

nawapwaan ni provisions, a lunch taken along (verb of making) nawapwaanike vai s/he prepares provisions for a trip, makes a lunch to take along
nawapwaan ni provisions, a lunch taken along

nawapwaanike vai s/he prepares provisions for a trip, makes a lunch to take along

nawekide vii it stands bent over

Paired with: nawekizo vai

nawekizo vai it (animate) stands bent over

Paired with: nawekide vii

nawetaa vai s/he bends over

nayaag adv tmp ahead of time; previously

nayenzh adv qnt both

nazhikewabi vai s/he lives alone, is home alone, sits alone

See also: anzhikewabi vai [RL]

nazhikewaakwadabi vai s/he sits alone

nazhikewige vai s/he lives alone

See also: anzhikewige vai

nazhikewizi vai s/he is alone, is one, is the only one

nazikwe' vta comb h/ hair

nazikwe'o vai s/he combs h/ (own) hair

See also: anzikwe'o vai [RL]

naa pc emph well!

naabagomo vai s/he goes back in place on the water, puts h/ boat back

naaba'ige vai s/he puts arrowheads on something

naaba'oodoon vti2 string it on a line

naaba'waagan na [BL] cup-and-pin game

naabakiin vta transplant h/

Paired with: naabakiinan vti

naabakiinan vti transplant it

Paired with: naabakiin vta

naabaakosidoon vti2 fix it on stick; put a handle on it

naabaakwa' vta hold h/ with a stick; pick h/ up with a stick

naabe- pv lex male

naabe-bineshiinh na a male bird

naabe-bizhiw na a male lynx

naabe-makwa na a male bear, a boar (bear)

See also: naabek na

naabe-mooz na a bull moose; a male moose

naabe-waagosh na a male fox, a dog (fox)

naabek na a male bear, a boar (bear)

See also: naabe-makwa na

naabemik na a male beaver

naabese na
  1. a male bird
  2. a rooster

naabesim na
  1. a male dog
  2. a male horse, a stallion

naabeshib na a drake; a male duck

naabeyaakig na a male otter

naabezhashk na a male muskrat

naabi- pv lex replace, copy

naabibii'an vti copy it by writing or drawing

(detransitive) naabibii'ige vai s/he copies things by writing or drawing (derived noun) naabibii'igan ni a copy, a tracing
naabibii'igan ni a copy, a tracing

naabibii'ige vai s/he copies things by writing or drawing

naabidoo' vta thread h/; string h/ (e.g., beads)

naabidoo'amaw vta thread something on for h/

naabidoo'an vti thread, string it; bead it (by loomwork)

Paired with: naabidoo' vta

(benefactive) naabidoo'amaw vta thread something on for h/ (detransitive) naabidoo'ige vai s/he threads, strings, beads things (detransitive) naabidoo'igaade vii it is threaded, strung (by someone), "they" thread, string it (detransitive) naabidoo'igaazo vai s/he is threaded, strung (by someone), "they" thread, string it (derived noun) naabidoo'igan ni a beading needle
naabidoo'igan ni a beading needle

naabidoo'igaade vii it is threaded, strung (by someone), "they" thread, string it

naabidoo'igaazo vai s/he is threaded, strung (by someone), "they" thread, string it

naabidoo'ige vai s/he threads, strings, beads things

naabigwa'oodoon vti2 lasso it

Paired with: naabigwa'oozh vta

naabigwa'oojige vai s/he lassoes something around the neck with a snare pole naabigwa'oojigan ni a snare pole and loop
naabigwa'oojigan ni a snare pole and loop

See also: naabigwe'oojigan ni

naabigwa'oojige vai s/he lassoes something around the neck with a snare pole

naabigwa'oozh vta lasso h/ around the neck with a snare pole

Paired with: naabigwa'oodoon vti2

naabigwe' vta snare h/ around the neck with a pole and noose

naabigwe'oojigan ni a snare pole and loop

See also: naabigwa'oojigan ni

naabigwe'oojige vai s/he snares with a pole and noose

naabigwe'oozh vta snare h/ around the neck with a pole and noose

naabikan vti wear it around the neck

Paired with: naabikaw vta

naabikaw vta wear h/ around the neck

Paired with: naabikan vti

naabikawaagan na a necktie; something worn around the neck: a necklace, a necktie, a neck scarf
naabikawaagan na something worn around the neck: a necklace, a necktie, a neck scarf ; a necktie

naabikaagan ni [BL] something worn around the neck: a necklace, a necktie, a neck scarf

naabikwaan ni a ship

naabikwaanens ni [BL] an outboard motor; a boat with a motor

naabikwaanensi-jiimaan ni [BL] a boat with an outboard motor

See also: naabikwaanensiwi-jiimaan ni [BL]

naabikwaanensi-maajiishkaachigan ni [BL] an outboard motor starter

naabikwaanensiwi-jiimaan ni [BL] a boat with an outboard motor

naabikwaanensiwi-ozhiga'iganens ni [BL] a small home-made motorboat

naabinootaw vta repeat what h/ says, mock h/

(detransitive) naabinootaage vai s/he repeats what people say, mocks people
naabinootaage vai s/he repeats what people say, mocks people

naabinootaage-makak ni an audio recorder: a digital or tape recorder

See also: naabinootaage-makakoons ni

naabinootaage-makakoons ni an audio recorder: a digital or tape recorder

naabisidoon vti2 replace it, put it back (in the same place), mount it

Paired with: naabishim vta

naabishebizo vai s/he wears an earring or earrings

(derived noun) naabishebizon ni an earring

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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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.