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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

zeginaagwad vii it looks scary, looks frightening

Paired with: zeginaagozi vai

zegindiwag vai they scare, frighten, intimidate, alarm each other (verbally)

zegingwashi vai s/he has a nightmare

zeginikeshin vai s/he sprains h/ arm

zegininjiishin vai s/he sprains h/ hand

zegise vai s/he a sudden feeling of fear, is scared suddenly

zegitan vti hear it (something scary)

Paired with: zegitaw vta

zegitaw vta hear h/ (someone scary)

Paired with: zegitan vti

zegitaagozi vai s/he sounds scary, sounds frightening

Paired with: zegitaagwad vii

zegitaagwad vii it sounds scary, sounds frightening

Paired with: zegitaagozi vai

zegizi vai s/he is afraid, frightened, scared

(verb of pretending) zegiziikaazo vai s/he pretends to be afraid, frightened, scared
zegizideshin vai s/he sprains h/ foot

zegiziikaazo vai s/he pretends to be afraid, frightened, scared

zegwewe vii it rumbles

zenibaanh na a ribbon; silk

zenibaanh-babagiwayaan ni a ribbon shirt

zenibaanh-majigoodenh ni a ribbon dress

zenibaawegin ni silk, satin

zesab na a nettle

zesegaandag na a black spruce

[
Picea mariana
]

zesegaandago-bigiw ni black spruce pitch

zesegaandagwadab na a black spruce root

zesegaandagwanagek na black spruce bark

zesegizi vai s/he is scared off and on

zesegwaabide'o vai s/he picks h/ teeth

zesegwaabide'on ni a toothpick

zezika adv tmp suddenly

ziko vai s/he spits

(verb of addiction) zikoshki vai s/he always is spitting (applicative) zikwaadan vti spit on it
(detransitive) zikwaajige vai s/he spits on things
(applicative) zikwaazh vta spit on h/ (derived noun) zikowin ni spit, saliva (derived noun) zikwaagan ni a spitoon
zikoshki vai s/he always is spitting

zikowin ni spit, saliva

zikowinaagan ni a spitoon

zikwaadan vti spit on it

Paired with: zikwaazh vta

zikwaagan ni a spitoon

zikwaajige vai s/he spits on things

zikwaazh vta spit on h/

Paired with: zikwaadan vti

zinap na [RL] snuff

zinigobidoon vti2 rub, massage it with something

Paired with: zinigobizh vta

zinigobizh vta rub, massage h/ with something

Paired with: zinigobidoon vti2

zinigobizhiwe vai s/he rubs (people) with something, massages (people)

zinigobizhiwewikwe na a masseuse

zinigobizhiwewinini na a masseur

zinigogaaden vta rub h/ leg, massage h/ leg

zinigojiibizh vta massage h/

(detransitive) zinigojiibizhiwe vai s/he massages people
zinigojiibizhiwe vai s/he massages people

zinigojiibizhiwewikwe na a masseuse

zinigojiibizhiwewinini na a masseur

zinigon vta rub h/ with something

Paired with: zinigonan vti

(reciprocal) zinigonidiwag vai they rub each other with something (reflexive) zinigonidizo vai s/he rubs h/ self with something
zinigonamaw vta rub (it) with something for h/

zinigonan vti rub it with something

Paired with: zinigon vta

(benefactive) zinigonamaw vta rub (it) with something for h/ (detransitive) zinigonige vai s/he rubs (things) with something (verb of undergoing) zinigonigaade vii it is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub it with something (verb of undergoing) zinigonigaazo vai s/he is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub h/ with something
zinigonidiwag vai they rub each other with something

zinigonidizo vai s/he rubs h/ self with something

zinigonigaade vii it is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub it with something

zinigonigaazo vai s/he is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub h/ with something

zinigonige vai s/he rubs (things) with something

zinigoninjiin vta massage h/ hand; rub h/ hand

zinigoshkan vti rub it (with foot or body)

Paired with: zinigoshkaw vta

zinigoshkaw vta rub h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: zinigoshkan vti

zinigozidebizh vta massage h/ foot

zinigwazhe'o vai s/he rubs something on h/ skin

zinigwazhen vta rub h/ skin

zinigwenim vta worry about h/; think about h/ all the time

zipobidoon vti2 close it up by pulling; zip it up

Paired with: zipobidoon vti2

zipobijigan ni a zipper

zipobizh vta close h/ up by pulling; zip h/ up

Paired with: zipobidoon vti2

zipwaangeni vai s/he closes h/ wings

zipwegishkaa vii it (sheet-like) closes up, comes together

zisiboode vii it is filed, ground down

Paired with: zisiboozo vai

zisiboodoon vti2 file, grind it down; sharpen it (an ax)

Paired with: zisiboozh vta

(detransitive) zisiboojige vai s/he files, grinds things down (derived noun) zisiboojigan ni a file, a rasp
zisiboojigan ni a file, a rasp

zisiboojige vai s/he files, grinds things down

zisiboozh vta file, grind h/ down

Paired with: zisiboodoon vti2

zisiboozo vai s/he is filed, ground down

Paired with: zisiboode vii

ziswam vta spray water on h/ from the mouth

Paired with: ziswandan vti

ziswandan vti spray water on it from the mouth

Paired with: ziswam vta

(detransitive) ziswanjige vai s/he sprays water on things from the mouth
ziswanjige vai s/he sprays water on things from the mouth

ziibaaska'igan ni a jingle (on dress)

ziibaaska'iganagooday ni a jingle dress

ziibaaskobijige vai s/he sets a net under the ice

ziibi ni a river

(verb of abundance) ziibiikaa vii there are (many) rivers
ziibiskaaj adv man not in a hurry, leisurely, reluctantly, unwillingly

ziibii-gookoosh na a hippopotamus

ziibii-manoomin ni river rice: wild rice from a river

ziibiikaa vii there are (many) rivers

ziibiins ni a stream, a creek

ziibiinsiwakamigaa vii it is a dry stream bed

ziidawaakogwayawe vai [BL] s/he has a stiff neck

ziidawaawigane vai [BL] s/he has a stiff back

ziidawaawiganeshin vai s/he falls and gets a stiff back

ziidonan vti support it (with hand); hold it up; hang on to it

ziiga'an vti pour or scoop it out (using something)

(detransitive) ziiga'ige vai s/he pours things out (using something), scoops or ladles it out; s/he casts sugar cones (verb of undergoing) ziiga'igaade vii it is poured out (by somone) (using something), "they" pour it out (using something) (derived noun) ziiga'igan ni a sugar cake, a sugar cone,
(verb of making) ziiga'iganike vai s/he makes a sugar cone
ziiga'andan vti pour liquid on it; water it

Paired with: ziiga'andaw vta

ziiga'andaw vta
  1. pour liquid on h/
  2. baptize h/

Paired with: ziiga'andan vti

ziiga'igan ni a sugar cake, a sugar cone,

ziiga'iganike vai s/he makes a sugar cone

ziiga'igaade vii it is poured out (by somone) (using something), "they" pour it out (using something)

ziiga'ige vai s/he casts sugar cones; s/he pours things out (using something), scoops or ladles it out

ziiga'ogo vai s/he gets water splashing in h/ boat

ziigana' vta spoon feed h/ a liquid

ziigashkinadoon vti2 fill it to overflowing (with solids)

Paired with: ziigashkina' vta

ziigashkina' vta fill h/ to overflowing (with solids)

Paired with: ziigashkinadoon vti2

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.