Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

zagizidebizh vta grab and hold h/ by the foot

zagizidebizo vai s/he snags h/ foot

zagiziden vta hold, grab h/ by the foot

zagiigin vta hold on to h/ clothes

zagiiginan vti hold onto it (sheet-like)

zagwasab na a net with a fine mesh

zaka' vta light h/ (e.g., a pipe); set h/ on fire

Paired with: zaka'an vti

zaka'amaw vta light (it) for h/; set (it) on fire for h/

zaka'an vti light, ignite it, set it on fire

Paired with: zaka' vta

(detransitive) zaka'ige vai s/he lights something (benefactive) zaka'amaw vta set (it) on fire for h/; light (it) for h/ (verb of undergoing) zaka'igaade vii it is set on fire, lit (by someone), "they" set it on fire, light it (verb of undergoing) zaka'igaazo vai s/he is set on fire, lit (by someone), "they" set h/ on fire, light h/ (derived noun) zaka'igan ni a lighter
zaka'igan ni a lighter

zaka'igaade vii it is set on fire, lit (by someone), "they" set it on fire, light it

zaka'igaazo vai s/he is set on fire, lit (by someone), "they" set h/ on fire, light h/

zaka'ige vai s/he lights something

zaka'ipwaagane vai s/he lights a pipe

zaka'o vai s/he uses a cane

(derived noun) zaka'on ni a cane
zaka'on ni a cane

zakaasan vti shine light at it

(derived noun) zakaasigan ni a flashlight
zakaasigan ni a flashlight

zakaate vii it reflects light, is lit by sunlight

zakide vii it catches fire

Paired with: zakizo vai

zakisidoon vti2 light, ignite it, set it on fire

zakiz vta light, ignite h/, set h/ on fire

Paired with: zakizan vti

zakizan vti light, ignite it, set it on fire

Paired with: zakiz vta

(detransitive) zakizige vai s/he lights, ignites things, sets things on fire
zakizige vai s/he lights, ignites things, sets things on fire

zakizo vai s/he catches fire; s/he has a fire at h/ place

Paired with: zakide vii

zakizwi vta [NI]

► zakiz vta

zanagad vii it is difficult, hard (to do or manage)

Paired with: zanagizi vai

zanagamon vii it is a hard road (to travel), is a difficult road

zanaganaamo vai s/he breathes with difficulty, has respiratory problems

zanagaanimad vii it is a wild, unsteady wind

zanagendam vai2 s/he thinks things difficult, thinks things hard

zanagendan vti think it difficult, think it hard

Paired with: zanagenim vta

zanagenim vta think h/ difficult, think h/ hard

Paired with: zanagendan vti

zanagibide vii it runs or operates with difficulty

Paired with: zanagibizo vai

zanagibizo vai s/he has a difficult ride, runs or operates with difficulty

Paired with: zanagibide vii

zanagi' vta make it difficult, hard for h/

(detransitive) zanagi'iwe vai s/he makes (people) do something difficult, gives people a hard time, makes trouble for people (reciprocal) zanagi'idiwag vai they make each other do something difficult; they make things difficult, hard for each other, give each other a hard time (reflexive) zanagi'idizo vai s/he makes h/ self do something difficult; s/he makes things difficult, hard for h/ self, gives h/ self a hard time
zanagi'idiwag vai they make each other do something difficult; they make things difficult, hard for each other, give each other a hard time

zanagi'idizo vai s/he makes things difficult, hard for h/ self, gives h/ self a hard time; s/he makes h/ self do something difficult

zanagi'iwe vai s/he makes (people) do something difficult, gives people a hard time, makes trouble for people

zanaginaagozi vai s/he looks hard (to make)

Paired with: zanaginaagwad vii

zanaginaagwad vii it looks hard (to make), looks difficult

Paired with: zanaginaagozi vai

zanagiz na someone difficult

zanagizi vai s/he is difficult, hard to manage

Paired with: zanagad vii

(verb of pretending) zanagiziikaazo vai s/he pretends to be hard to get along with
zanagiziikaazo vai s/he pretends to be hard to get along with

zasakwaa vii there is a heavy frost

zaswebidoon vti2 scatter it (with hands)

Paired with: zaswebizh vta

zaswebizh vta scatter h/ (with hands)

Paired with: zaswebidoon vti2

zaswebiiga'andaw vta splash h/

zaswe'an vti scatter it (using something)

zaswenan vti spread it [by/with hand]

zasweshkan vti scatter it (with foot or body)

Paired with: zasweshkaw vta

zasweshkaw vta scatter h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: zasweshkan vti

zazagaa vii there is dense underbrush

zazaagiwine vai its horns or antlers emerge, grow out

zazaagiz na a miser, someone who is stingy

zazaagizi vai s/he is stingy

zazegaa adv man dressed up

zazegaa- pv lex good-looking; elegant; fine

zazegaa-ikwe na a fine woman, a lady; a woman who is well-dressed, good-looking, well-mannered

(verb of being) zazegaa-ikwewi vai s/he is a fine woman, is a gentlewoman
zazegaa-ikwewi vai s/he is a fine woman, is a gentlewoman

zazegaa-inini na a gentleman; a man who is good-looking, well-dressed, well-mannered

zazegaa-wiisiniwin ni nice food, special food

zazegaa'o vai s/he dresses up

zazegaatoon vti2 make it nice, build it well; make it beautiful

zaziikizi vai s/he is the eldest (of siblings)

zaziiko vai s/he spits

zaabendanzii vai2 s/he isn't interested, doesn't like something

zaagadaawangisin vai s/he lies sticking out of sand

zaagagwinde vii it sticks out of the water

zaaga'am vai2
  1. s/he goes out, exits
  2. s/he goes to the toilet

zaaga'amoowigamig ni a toilet, a bathroom, an outhouse, a privy

zaaga'igan ni a lake

zaaga'iganii-manoomin ni lake rice: wild rice from a lake

zaaga'iganiiwaabo ni [BL] lake water

zaagajiwe vai s/he comes out over a hill

zaagakii vai it (animate; a plant) sprouts, comes up, grows out (of the ground)

Paired with: zaagakii vii

zaagakii vii it (a plant) sprouts, comes up, grows out (of the ground)

Paired with: zaagakii vai

zaaganakibii vai the top of the tree sticks out above the water

zaaganem vta have h/ sticking out of the mouth

Paired with: zaaganendan vti

zaaganendan vti have it sticking out of the mouth

Paired with: zaaganem vta

(detransitive) zaaganenjige vai s/he has something sticking out of h/ mouth
zaaganenjige vai s/he has something sticking out of h/ mouth

zaagaabide vai s/he teethes

zaagaagone vai s/he sticks out from the snow

Paired with: zaagaagone vii

zaagaagone vii it sticks out from the snow

Paired with: zaagaagone vai

zaagaagonesin vii it lies sticking out of snow

Paired with: zaagaagoneshin vai

zaagaagoneshin vai s/he lies sticking out of snow

Paired with: zaagaagonesin vii

zaagaakosidoon vti2 put it (something stick- or wood-like) so it sticks out

Paired with: zaagaakoshim vta

zaagaakosin vii it (something stick- or wood-like) sticks out

Paired with: zaagaakoshin vai

zaagaakoshim vta put h/ (something stick- or wood-like) so h/ sticks out

Paired with: zaagaakosidoon vti2

zaagaakoshin vai s/he (something stick- or wood-like) sticks out

Paired with: zaagaakosin vii

zaagaanowe vai h/ tail sticks out

zaagaasige vai s/he (the sun or moon) shines out (from behind something)

zaagaaso vai s/he (the sun or moon) shines out (from behind something)

zaagaate vii it shines, sun comes up or out

zaagewa'o vai s/he paddles suddenly into view; zaagewa'od

See also: zaagewe'o vai

zaagewe vai s/he comes suddenly into view as from around a corner

zaagewebatoo vai s/he runs suddenly into view

zaagewebide vii it drives, speeds suddenly into view

Paired with: zaagewebizo vai

zaagewebizo vai s/he drives, speeds suddenly into view

Paired with: zaagewebide vii

zaagewedaabii vai s/he comes into view dragging a load

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.

  • Audio recordings
  • Images
  • Video
  • Documents

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.