Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

apishkaamon ni a canoe mat

apizideshimo vai s/he puts h/ foot or feet on something, cushions h/ foot or feet

apizideshimowin ni insole

apizideshinowin ni a place to put your feet: a footstool, a floor mat

apizideyaakwa'igan ni [ML] a cradleboard footrest

apizhigan ni a cutting board

apii adv tmp at the time; then; when

apiich adv gram more than; than

apiichaa vii it is a certain distance

apiichi- pv rel to a certain extent or degree; as much as

apiichi-giizhigad vii it is so late in the day

apiichibatoo vai s/he runs at a certain speed

apiichibide vii it speeds, drives, flies, runs (as a machine) at a certain speed

Paired with: apiichibizo vai

apiichibizo vai s/he speeds, drives, flies, runs (as a machine) at a certain speed

Paired with: apiichibide vii

apiichibizoowagwaakwa'igan ni a speed sign

apiichibii vai s/he is intoxicated to such an extent

apiichigaamo vai s/he is so fat

apiichigi vai s/he grows up a certain extent, grows at a certain speed

Paired with: apiichigin vii

apiichigidaazo vai s/he is angry to such an certain extent, is mad to such an extent

apiichigin vii it grows up a certain extent, grows at a certain speed

Paired with: apiichigi vai

apiichigwaashkwani vai s/he jumps so far or so high

apiichijiishkiwagad vii it (mud) is of such a thickness, is so thick

apiichijiishkiwagizi vai h/ (dough) is of such a thickness, is so thick

apiichisin vii it lies to a certain depth

Paired with: apiichishin vai

apiichishin vai s/he lies to a certain depth

Paired with: apiichisin vii

apiichitaa vai s/he engages in an activity to a certain extent, is so far along in an activity

apiichizh vta slice it (animate) so thick, cut it (animate) to such an extent

Paired with: apiichizhan vti

apiichizhan vti slice it so thick; cut it to such an extent

Paired with: apiichizh vta ; apiichizhwi vta [NI]

apiichizhwi vta [NI]

► apiichizh vta

apiichiiwii vai s/he is so strong, has such power or strength

apiingwe'igan ni a moccasin vamp

apiisinaagozi vai s/he is visible at a certain distance

Paired with: apiisinaagwad vii

apiisinaagwad vii it is visible at a certain distance

Paired with: apiisinaagozi vai

apiitabi vai s/he comes up to a certain height when seated

apiitabwezo vai s/he sweats so much

apiitadeyaa vii it is so wide; it is so deep

Paired with: apiitadezi vai

apiitadezh vta cut h/ so thick; slice h/ so thick

Paired with: apiitadezhan vti

apiitadezhan vti cut it so thick; slice it so thick

Paired with: apiitadezh vta

apiitadezi vai s/he is so wide

Paired with: apiitadeyaa vii

apiitadezhwi vta [NI]

► apiitadezh vta

apiitadin vii it is so cold, is so frozen, is frozen so far

Paired with: apiitaji vai

apiitagim vta set so high a price on h/

Paired with: apiitagindan vti

apiitagindan vti set so high a price on it

Paired with: apiitagim vta

apiitaginde vii it has so high a price

Paired with: apiitaginzo vai

apiitaginzo vai s/he has so high a price

Paired with: apiitaginde vii

apiitagoode vii it hangs so high

Paired with: apiitagoojin vai

apiitagoodoon vti2 hang it so high

Paired with: apiitagoozh vta

apiitagoojin vai the moon is in a certain position (so it is a certain time of the month); s/he hangs so high

Paired with: apiitagoode vii

apiitagoozh vta hang h/ so high

Paired with: apiitagoodoon vti2

apiitaji vai s/he is so cold

Paired with: apiitadin vii

apiitakamigad vii it (an event) is so far along; during the course of it (an event)

apiitakizo vai it (animate) stands so tall

apiitakone vii the flame is so high

apiitan vii it weighs so much, is so heavy

Paired with: apiitani vai [BL]

apiitanaamo vai s/he breathes at a certain rate

apiitani vai [BL] s/he weighs so much, is so heavy

Paired with: apiitan vii

apiitashkad vii it (plant, grass) has a stalk so high, is so high

apiitaa vii it is a certain height, is a certain thickness

Paired with: apiitizi vai

apiitaabikide vii it (mineral) is so hot, is hot to such an extent

apiitaabikinan vti set it at such a temperature (of a stove)

apiitaagamide vii it (a liquid) is heated to such a temperature

apiitaagonagaa vii there is snow so deep, the snow is a certain depth

apiitaanimad vii it (wind) has a certain speed

apiitaapine vai s/he is sick to such an extent

apiitaasige vai the sun or moon shines so bright; the moon is in a certain phase; it is so far along in the month

apiitaate vii it is so hot from sun, sunlight goes so far

apiitendam vai2 s/he considers something, takes h/ time thinking about something

apiitendan vti be so proud of it; value, regard it so high

Paired with: apiitenim vta

apiitendaagozi vai s/he is valued so high, ranks so high, is so important

Paired with: apiitendaagwad vii

apiitendaagwad vii it is valued so high, ranks so high, is so important, is worthy

Paired with: apiitendaagozi vai

apiitendi vai s/he is away, absent, gone so long

apiitenim vta regard h/ to such an extent, be so proud of h/

Paired with: apiitendan vti

(reflexive) apiitenindizo vai s/he thinks of h/ self to a certain extent
apiitenimo vai s/he is so proud of h/ self

apiitenindizo vai s/he thinks of h/ self to a certain extent

apiitinigozi vai s/he weighs so much, is so heavy

Paired with: apiitinigwad vii

apiitinigwad vii it weighs so much, is so heavy

Paired with: apiitinigozi vai

apiitizi vai s/he is a certain age, is a certain thickness

Paired with: apiitaa vii

apiitowe vai s/he has a voice of a certain intensity, has so loud a voice

apiitoonagad vii it (canoe or boat) is so deep, is so high

apiizikaa vai s/he goes a certain speed, goes so fast

asab na a net

(verb of making) asabike vai s/he makes nets (verb of possession) odasabii vai s/he has a net or nets
asabaa vii it has small holes, is a mesh

Paired with: asabizi vai

asabaab ni thread

asabaabikad vii it (mineral) has small holes, is perforated

Paired with: asabaabikizi vai

asabaabikizi vai it (mineral, animate) has small holes, is perforated

Paired with: asabaabikad vii

asabaabis na [BL] thread

(verb of possession) odasabaabisi vai [BL] s/he has thread
asabaabiiwaatig ni a spool (for thread)

asabikaanaak na a net shuttle

asabikaanaak ni a net shuttle

asabike vai s/he makes nets

asabikeshiinh na a spider

asabikeyaab ni net twine

asabishkaa vii it gets full of holes

asabishkoode vii it is shot full of holes

Paired with: asabishkoozo vai

asabishkoozo vai s/he is shot full of holes

Paired with: asabishkoode vii

asabizi vai it (animate) has small holes, is a mesh

Paired with: asabaa vii

asabiiwazh ni a coarsely woven bag: a burlap bag, a gunny sack

asanii vai s/he (a tree) has bark hard to get off

asanjigo vai s/he stores, caches, stashes, deposits something

(derived noun) asanjigowin ni a cache; a stash
asanjigon vai + o s/he caches (it)

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.