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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

makwa

makwa na nj
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a bear

[
black bear
; 
Ursus americana
]



makwa sg; makwag pl; makoons dim; Stem: /makw-/

makwa sg gh
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nj
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es
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makwag pl gh
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nj
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es
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makoons dim gh
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nj
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es
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Gego beshwaji'aaken awe makwa; onzaam naniizaanizi.

Don't get friendly with the bear. He's too dangerous.
 es
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Mii 'iw ganabaj gii-ni-ishkwaangizod awe gashkadino-giizis gii-sagakiiwaad igi makwag.

It must be in late November when the bears settle down in their lodges (for the winter).
 es
Mii igo ezhi-niiskikaad 'aw animosh miginaad iniw makwan.

That dog's hair stood up as he barked at the bear.
 es
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Ogii-mikwaasenodawaawaan iniw makwan iwidi gii-inaatewebinigewaad.

They spotted a bear in the light when they cast a light in that direction.
 es
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Waanda-wiimbaamagad naa 'i waazh imaa nibaad makwa.

The den where a bear sleeps is hollow.
 rg
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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.

Word Family

makwa na a bear
(verb of pretending) makokaazo vai s/he pretends to be a bear (verb of being) makowi vai
  1. s/he is a bear, becomes a bear
  2. she comes of age, has her first menses

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.