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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

wawiingezi vai s/he is skillful, does a good job, does something well

wawiininjii vai s/he has dirty hands

wawiinizide vai s/he has dirty feet

way pc disc [exclamation]

wayaabishkiiwed na-v [S] a white person

See also: waabishkiiwed na-v [N]

wayekwaase vii it comes to an end

wayekwaashkan vti [S] go, come to the end of it

Paired with: wayekwaashkaw vta [S] See also: wekwaashkan vti [N]

wayekwaashkaw vta [S] go, come to the end of h/

Paired with: wayekwaashkan vti [S] See also: wekwaashkaw vta

wayekwaashkaa vai [S] s/he goes, comes to the end

Paired with: wayekwaashkaa vii [S] See also: wekwaashkaa vai [N]

wayekwaashkaa vii [S] it goes, comes to the end

Paired with: wayekwaashkaa vai [S] See also: wekwaashkaa vii [N]

wayeshkad adv tmp at first; in the beginning

wayezhim vta deceive, cheat h/ (by speech)

(detransitive) wayezhinge vai s/he deceives, cheats people (by speech) (reflexive) wayezhindizo vai s/he deceives, cheats h/ self (by speech) (reciprocal) wayezhindiwag vai they deceive, cheat each other (by speech)
wayezhindiwag vai they deceive, cheat each other (by speech)

wayezhindizo vai s/he deceives, cheats h/ self (by speech)

wayezhinge vai s/he deceives, cheats people (by speech)

wayiiba adv tmp early; in a little while; soon

wazhashk na a muskrat

[
Ondatra zibethicus
]

wazhashko-bimide ni muskrat grease

wazhashko-wiiyaas ni muskrat meat

wazhashkwayaan na a muskrat hide

wazhashkwedo na fungus

wazhashkwedow na fungus; a mushroom; a pine cone

wazhashkwedoons na a mushroom

wazhashkwiish ni a muskrat lodge

wazison ni [BL] a nest

(verb of making) wazisonike vai [BL] s/he makes a nest
wazisonike vai [BL] s/he makes a nest

waziswan ni [N] a nest

(verb of making) waziswanike vai s/he makes a nest or nests
waziswanike vai s/he makes a nest or nests

waa pc disc [exclamation]

waa- pv tns is going to, will, want to

► wii- pv tns

waaaseyaagonagaa vii there is bright snow (on the ground)

waabadowe vai s/he has grey fur

waabam vta see h/

Paired with: waabandan vti

(detransitive) waabange vai s/he observes people, is a spectator, is a witness (reciprocal) waabandiwag vai they see each other (reflexive) waabandizo vai s/he sees h/ self
(derived noun) waabandizowin ni a mirror
waabamik na an albino beaver

waabamojichaagwaan ni a mirror

waaban vii
  1. it is tomorrow
  2. it is dawn

waabanabi vai s/he sits up until daylight

waabana'amaazo vai s/he sings until daylight

waabananokii vai s/he works until daylight

waabanashkidii vai s/he (a bird) has a white tail

waabanda' vta show (it) to h/

(reciprocal) waabanda'idiwag vai they show something to each other, have an exhibition or fair (detransitive) waabanda'iwe vai s/he shows (it) to people waabanda'iwewin ni a show, an exhibition
waabanda'idiwag vai they show something to each other, have an exhibition or fair

waabanda'iwe vai s/he shows (it) to people

waabanda'iwewin ni a show, an exhibition

waabandan vti see it

Paired with: waabam vta

(verb of undergoing) waabanjigaade vii it is seen (by someone), "they" see it (verb of undergoing) waabanjigaazo vai s/he is seen (by someone), "they" see h/
waabandiwag vai they see each other

waabandizo vai s/he sees h/ self

waabandizowin ni a mirror

waabange vai s/he observes people, is a spectator, is a witness

waabani-noodin ni east wind

waabani-noodin vii there is an east wind

waabanidaabii'iwe vai s/he drives until daylight

waabanishimo vai s/he dances until daylight

waabanjigaade vii it is seen (by someone), "they" see it

waabanjigaazo vai s/he is seen (by someone), "they" see h/

waabanong adv loc in the east; to the east

waabanoo na a participant in the Wabenowin

(verb of being) waabanoowi vai s/he participates in the Wabeno dance
(derived noun) waabanoowiwin ni Wabenowin
waabanoo- pv lex Wabenowin

waabanoo-nagamo vai s/he sings a Wabeno song

waabanoo-nagamon ni Wabeno song

waabanoo-niimi'idiwin vai Wabeno dance

waabanoowi vai s/he participates in the Wabeno dance

waabanoowiwin ni Wabenowin

waabasim na grey or light-colored dog or horse

waabashkiki ni [LL] [ML] a swamp, a muskeg

(verb of being) waabashkikiiwan vii it is swampy
waabashkikiiwan vii it is swampy

waabaabigan na white clay

(verb of abundance) waabaabiganikaa vii there is (a lot of) white clay Gaa-waabaabiganikaag name place White Earth Reservation
waabaabiganikaa vii there is (a lot of) white clay

waabaanakwad vii it is grey sky, grey clouds

waabaaso vai s/he fades, is faded (from light)

Paired with: waabaate vii

waabaate vii it fades, is faded (from light)

Paired with: waabaaso vai

waabi vai s/he has vision, sees

waabi- pv lex grey, (off)white

waabi-bizhiki na a grey or light-colored cow or ox

waabi-makade ni smokeless gunpowder

waabi-makwa na a white bear

waabi-manoomin ni white rice

waabide vii it turns light (in color)

Paired with: waabizo vai

waabigan na clay

(verb of making) waabiganike vai s/he makes plaster or cement waabiganikaade vii
  1. it is made of clay, made of plaster, made of concrete
  2. it is in a cast
waabiganakamigaa vii there is clayey ground

waabiganidaabaan na a cement truck

waabiganikaa vii there is (a lot of) clay; it has clay

waabiganikaade vii
  1. it is made of clay, made of plaster, made of concrete
  2. it is in a cast

Paired with: waabiganikaazo vai

waabiganikaazo vai s/he is made of clay, plaster, or concrete

Paired with: waabiganikaade vii

waabiganike vai s/he makes plaster or cement

waabigwan ni a flower

(verb of abundance) waabigwaniikaa vii there are (many) flowers
waabigwani-giizis na May

waabigwanii-adaawewigamig ni a flower shop

waabigwanii-gitigaan ni a flower garden

waabigwanii-mazinigwaade vii it is embroidered in a floral pattern

waabigwaniikaa vii there are (many) flowers

waabigwaniiwadisan vti dye it pink

Paired with: waabigwaniiwadiswi vta [NI]

waabigwaniiwadiswi vta [NI] dye h/ pink

Paired with: waabigwaniiwadisan vti

waabijii- pv lex grey, (off)white

waabijiigwan na a grey feather

waabijiiyaa vii it is grey

Paired with: waabijiizi vai

waabijiiyaakigane vai s/he has a grey chest, is grey-breasted

waabijiizi vai s/he is grey

Paired with: waabijiiyaa vii

waabikwaan ni a strand of grey hair

waabikwe vai s/he has grey hair

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.