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wiidosem vta walk with h/

(reciprocal) wiidosendiwag vai they walk with each other
wiidosendiwag vai they walk with each other

wiidookaw vta help h/

(detransitive) wiidookaage vai s/he helps people (reflexive) wiidookaazo vai s/he helps (reflexive) wiidookodaadizo vai s/he helps h/ self (reciprocal) wiidookodaadiwag vai they help each other
wiidookawagenim vta sympathize with h/ in what h/ is doing; pull for, root for h/

wiidookaage vai s/he helps people

wiidookaagewikwe na a helper (female), an assistant (female)

wiidookaagewinini na a helper, an assistant

wiidookaazo vai s/he helps

wiidookodaadiwag vai they help each other

wiidookodaadiwin ni mutual help or assistance, helping others

wiidookodaadizo vai s/he helps h/ self

wiidoonzhe vai s/he has a child with someone

wiidoonzhem vta have a child with h/
wiidoonzhem vta have a child with h/

wiidoopam vta eat with h/

(detransitive) wiidoopange vai s/he eats with people (reciprocal) wiidoopandiwag vai they eat with each other
wiidoopandiwag vai they eat with each other

wiidoopange vai s/he eats with people

wiigiwaam ni a wigwam, a lodge

(verb of possession) owiigiwaami vai s/he has a wigwam (verb of making) wiigiwaamike vai s/he makes a wigwam
wiigiwaamaak ni a wigwam frame

wiigiwaamaatig ni a wigwam pole

wiigiwaamige vai s/he lives in a wigwam

wiigiwaamike vai s/he makes a wigwam

wiigob na a basswood

[
American basswood
; 
Tillia americana
]

(verb of abundance) wiigobiikaa vii there are (a lot of) basswood trees
wiigob ni inner bark of basswood

wiigobaatig na a basswood

[
American basswood
; 
Tillia americana
]

(verb of abundance) wiigobaatigokaa vii there are (many) basswood trees
wiigobaatigokaa vii there are (many) basswood trees

wiigobimizh na a basswood

[
American basswood
; 
Tillia americana
]

wiigobiibag ni a basswood leaf

wiigobiikaa vii there are (a lot of) basswood trees

wiigobiiwaatig na [BL] a basswood

wiigwaas na a birch

[
white birch
; 
Betula papyrifera
]

(verb of abundance) wiigwaasikaa vii there are (many) birches (verb of being) wiigwaasiwi vai s/he is a birch
wiigwaas ni birch bark; piece of birch bark

(verb of making) wiigwaasike vai s/he removes birch bark from the tree
wiigwaasabak ni a birch bark roll

wiigwaasabakway ni a birch bark covering; roll of birch bark roofing

wiigwaasabakwaan na a birch bark roof

wiigwaasanakoons ni (tip of) birch twig

wiigwaasaatig na a birch tree

[
paper birch
; 
Betula papyrifera
]

See also: wiigwaas na ; wiigwaasi-mitig na

wiigwaasi-jiimaan ni a birch bark canoe

wiigwaasi-makak ni a birch bark basket or box

wiigwaasi-makako-waakaayaagibijigan ni a birchbark basket rim

wiigwaasi-mitig na a birch

[
white birch
; 
Betula papyrifera
]

wiigwaasibag ni a birch leaf

wiigwaasigamig ni a birch bark lodge

wiigwaasikaa vii there are (many) birches

wiigwaasike vai s/he removes birch bark from the tree

wiigwaasinaagan ni a birch bark dish

(verb of making) wiigwaasinaaganike vai s/he makes birch bark basket
wiigwaasinaaganike vai s/he makes birch bark basket

wiigwaasiwi vai s/he is a birch

wiij'ayaaw vta be with h/; stay with h/

wiiji- pv lex in company with; with

wiiji-daam vta live beside h/; live with h/

(reciprocal) wiiji-daandiwag vai they live with or by each other
wiiji-daandiwag vai they live with or by each other

wiijibatoom vta run with h/

wiijigamigishkaw vta be a neighbor to h/

wiijigaabawitaw vta stand with h/

wiijigim vta be the same age as h/

(reciprocal) wiijigindiwag vai they are the same age wiijigimaagan na age-mate
wiijigimaagan na age-mate

wiijigindiwag vai they are the same age

wiiji' vta
  1. help h/
  2. play with h/

(reciprocal) wiiji'idiwag vai [BL] [BR] [C] they help each other
wiiji'idiwag vai [BL] [BR] [C] they help each other

wiiji'idiwin ni mutual help or assistance, helping others

wiiji'igoowizi vai s/he receives help

wiiji'iwe vai s/he goes with, accompanies people

wiijikiwenyan nad his brother

wiijishimotaw vta dance with h/

(reciprocal) wiijishimotaadiwag vai they dance (with each other)
wiijishimotaadiwag vai they dance (with each other)

wiijitwaa vai [BL] s/he helps out, assists

wiijiindiwag vai they go with, come with, accompany each other

wiijiiw vta go with, come with, accompany h/

(derived noun) wiijiiwaagan na a partner, a companion
(verb of possession) owiijiiwaagani vai s/he has a partner, has a companion
wiijiiwaagan na a partner, a companion

wiikaa adv tmp late; ever; seldom

wiikenh na sweet flag

[
Acorus calamus
]

wiikobidamaw vta
  1. pull (it) for h/
  2. withdraw (it) for h/

wiikobidaw vta pull (it) for h/

wiikobidoon vti2 pull it

Paired with: wiikobizh vta

(benefactive) wiikobidaw vta pull (it) for h/ (benefactive) wiikobidamaw vta
  1. pull (it) for h/
  2. withdraw (it) for h/
 (detransitive) wiikobijige vai s/he pulls things, plays slot machines (verb of undergoing) wiikobijigaade vii it is pulled (by someone), "they" pull it (verb of undergoing) wiikobijigaazo vai s/he is pulled (by someone), "they" pull h/ (derived noun) wiikobijigan ni a drawer, a chest of drawers, a dresser
wiikobijigan ni a drawer, a chest of drawers, a dresser

wiikobijigaade vii it is pulled (by someone), "they" pull it

wiikobijigaazo vai s/he is pulled (by someone), "they" pull h/

wiikobijige vai s/he pulls things, plays slot machines

wiikobizh vta pull h/

Paired with: wiikobidoon vti2

wiikogaadebizh vta pull h/ by the leg

wiikom vta invite h/ to a feast (especially as part of a religious ceremony)

See also: wiikwam vta

(detransitive) wiikonge vai s/he gives a feast; s/he invites people to a feast (especially as part of a ceremony) (reciprocal) wiikondiwag vai they feast with each other, have a feast
wiikondiwag vai they feast with each other, have a feast

See also: wiikwandiwag vai

wiikondiwin ni a feast; a spirit dish: an offering of food at the start of a meal

wiikonge vai s/he gives a feast; s/he invites people to a feast (especially as part of a ceremony)

wiikonge' vta feast h/, make a feast for h/

Paired with: wiikongetoon vti2

wiikongetoon vti2 feast it, make a feast for it

Paired with: wiikonge' vta

wiikongewakik na a feast pot

wiikongewin ni ceremonial food

wiikongewinaagan ni a spirit dish: an offering of food at the start of a meal

wiikonikebizh vta pull h/ by the arm

wiikose vii it pulls, tugs, jerks

wiikoshkaa vai s/he is drawn toward, moves in by h/ self

Paired with: wiikoshkaa vii

wiikoshkaa vii it is drawn toward, moves in by itself

Paired with: wiikoshkaa vai

wiikwa'an vti pump it up (out of somewhere); draw it up or out (using something)

wiikwa'ibaan ni a pump (for water)

wiikwa'ibii vai s/he pumps, draws water

(derived noun) wiikwa'ibaan ni a pump (for water)
wiikwaji' vta try to get h/ free from something; try to get h/ to do something

Paired with: wiikwajitoon vti2

wiikwaji'o vai s/he tries to get free; s/he tries, endeavors

wiikwajitoon vti2 try to do it; try to get free of it

Paired with: wiikwaji' vta

wiikwam vta
  1. suck on h/ ; draw on h/ with mouth
  2. invite h/ to a feast (especially as part of a religious ceremony)

Paired with: wiikwandan vti See also: wiikom vta

wiikwange vai s/he invites people

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.