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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

akwaabikizi vai s/he is a certain length (as something mineral), is so long (as something mineral)

Paired with: akwaabikad vii

akwaabiigad vii it is a certain length (as something string-like), is so long (as something string-like)

Paired with: akwaabiigizi vai

akwaabiigizh vta cut h/ (string-like) a certain length

Paired with: akwaabiigizhan vti

akwaabiigizhan vti cut it a certain length (string-like)

Paired with: akwaabiigizh vta

akwaabiigizi vai s/he is a certain length (as something string-like), is so long (as something string-like)

Paired with: akwaabiigad vii

akwaakogaade vai h/ leg is so long, legs are so long

akwaakojaane vai h/ nose is so long

See also: akojaane vai

akwaakonike vai h/ arm is so long, arms are so long

akwaakozi vai s/he is a certain length (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: akwaakwad vii

akwaakwad vii it is so long (as something stick- or wood-like), is so tall (as something stick- or wood-like)

akwaakwaa vii the woods go a certain distance

akwaandawaadan vti climb up on, climb on it

Paired with: akwaandawaazh vta

akwaandawaagan ni something to climb up on or in: a stairway, a ladder, an elevator

akwaandawaazh vta climb up on, climb on h/

Paired with: akwaandawaadan vti

akwaandawe vai s/he climbs up, climbs, goes upstairs

(applicative) akwaandawaadan vti climb up on, climb on it (applicative) akwaandawaazh vta climb up on, climb on h/ (derived noun) akwaandawaagan ni something to climb up on or in: a stairway, a ladder, an elevator
akwaandaweba'idiwag vai they climb up in a rush together

akwaandawebatoo vai s/he climbs up fast, climbs fast

akwaandawebizo vai s/he goes up in an elevator

(derived noun) akwaandawebizon ni an elevator
akwaandawebizon ni an elevator

akwaandawedaabaadan vti climb up pulling or dragging it

Paired with: akwaandawedaabaazh vta

akwaandawedaabaazh vta climb up pulling or dragging h/

Paired with: akwaandawedaabaadan vti

akwaandawedaabii vai s/he climbs up pulling or dragging a load

akwaandawegidaazo vai s/he goes upstairs angry, goes upstairs mad

akwaandawenizhikaw vta chase h/ up something (a stairway or a tree)

akwaandawewidoon vti2 take, carry it upstairs

Paired with: akwaandawewizh vta

akwaandawewizh vta take, carry h/ upstairs

Paired with: akwaandawewidoon vti2

akwaandaweyoode vai s/he climbs up crawling, crawls upstairs

akwegad vii it is a certain length (as something sheet-like), is so long (as something sheet-like)

Paired with: akwegizi vai

akwegizh vta cut h/ a certain length (sheet-like)

Paired with: akwegizhan vti

akwegizhan vti cut it (something sheet-like) a certain length

Paired with: akwegizh vta

akwegizi vai s/he is a certain length (as something sheet-like), is so long (as something sheet-like)

Paired with: akwegad vii

akwiindimaa vii it (body of water) has a so deep a bottom

amadademo vai s/he wakes up crying

amadaji vai s/he wakes up from being cold

amadaakizo vai s/he wakes from heat or from burning

amadin vta wake h/, wake h/ (by touching with the hand)

amajibiiso vai s/he wakes up in a sweat

amaji' vta wake h/

(reciprocal) amaji'idiwag vai they wake each other up (reflexive) amaji'idizo vai s/he wakes h/ self up
amaji'idiwag vai they wake each other up

amaji'idizo vai s/he wakes h/ self up

amajim vta rouse, wake h/ (by vocal noise)

amajine vai s/he wakes up from pain

amajise vai s/he wakes up suddenly, comes awake

amajwebin vta shake h/ awake

amaniso vai s/he senses an unseen presence

(applicative) amanisodaw vta be alarmed by h/ (derived noun) amanisowin ni premonition
amanisodan vti sense the presence of it

Paired with: amanisodaw vta

amanisodaw vta be alarmed by h/

amanisowin ni premonition

amanj adv dub I don't know how, I wonder how

amanj apii adv dub I don't know how, I wonder how; I don't know when, I wonder when

See also: namanj apii adv dub

amanj igo adv dub however

amanj igo apii adv dub anytime; whenever

ambe pc interj attention!; come on!; let's go!

ambegish adv pred I hope; I wish

See also: apegish adv pred

ambesanoo pc interj come on!; please!

amik na a beaver

[
Castor canadensis
]

(verb of possession) odamikomi vai s/he has a beaver or beavers
amiko-bimide ni beaver grease

amiko-biiwanjigan ni a scrap or chip left from a beaver's chewing

amiko-giba'igan ni a beaver dam

amiko-gibaakwa'igan ni a beaver dam

amiko-miikana ni a beaver trail

amiko-nagwaagan ni a beaver snare

amiko-waazh ni underwater trench and tunnel entrance to a beaver lodge

See also: amikwaazh ni

amiko-wiinin na beaver fat

amiko-wiinzhinaa na a beaver castoreum

amiko-wiinzob ni a beaver gall bladder

amiko-wiish ni a beaver house

amiko-wiiyaakwa'igan ni [BL] beaver scent used as a lure in trapping

amiko-wiiyaas ni beaver meat

amiko-zaasiganag na beaver cracklings

amiko-zhiigozhigan ni a beaver carcass scrap

amikob ni a beaver pond

amikobwaam ni a beaver hindquarter

amikode' ni a beaver heart

amikodoodikosiw na a beaver kidney

amikogan ni a beaver bone

amikokana ni a beaver trail

amikokon ni a beaver liver

amikomin ni a current

amikoninj ni a beaver forepaw

amikoshkiinzhig ni [N] a beaver eye

amikotigwaan ni [BL] beaver head

amikozid ni a beaver foot, a beaver hindpaw

amikozow ni a beaver tail

amikoons na a beaver kit

amikoonsens na [BL] a baby beaver kit

amikwanii'igan ni a beaver trap

amikwanii'ige vai s/he traps beaver

amikwanii'igewin ni beaver trapping
amikwanii'igewin ni beaver trapping

amikwayaan na a beaver hide

amikwaabid ni a beaver tooth

amikwaazh ni underwater trench and tunnel entrance to a beaver lodge

See also: amiko-waazh ni

amikwiish ni a beaver lodge

amikwiishike vai s/he makes a beaver lodge

amo vta eat h/

Paired with: miijin vti3

amojiishkiwaan ni a deer lick: a place where deer eat mud

amwaagone vai s/he eats snow

amwi vta eat h/

► amo vta

ana'o vai s/he chokes on something stuck in h/ throat

anama'e- pv lex church, Christian

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.