Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

crow feather
n
crow feather
aandego-miigwan na a crow feather

crowbar
n
crowbar
bakwajisaga'igan ni a crowbar

mookiweba'igan ni a crowbar

baakisagiweba'igan ni [BL] a crowbar

crowd
n
go in a group or crowd
animaawanidiwag vai they travel away (in the other direction) in a group

babaamaawanidiwag vai s/he travels around in a group

bagamaawanidiwag vai they arrive in a group

bimaawanidiwag vai they travel along along in a group

biidaawanidiwag vai they travel here in a group

biindigeyaawanidiwag vai they enter, go inside as a group

inaawanidiwag vai they travel in a group to a certain place

madaabiiyaawanidiwag vai they go down to shore in a group

maadaawanidiwag vai they start off in a group

ondaawanidiwag vai they travel in a group from a certain place

zaagidaawanidiwag vai they file out; they go out in a group

crowded
adj
lie crowded
mooshkineshinoog vai they are crowded lying (there)

sit crowded
ziindabi vai s/he sits crowded in, squeezed in tight

stand crowded
ziinjigaabawi vai s/he is in a tight spot; s/he stands crowded in, squeezed in tight

crumble
vt
crumble
biisibidoon vti2 break it into small pieces with hands; crumble it

Paired with: biisibizh vta

biisibizh vta break h/ into small pieces with hands; crumble h/

Paired with: biisibidoon vti2

crunch
vt
crunch in mouth
gaapam vta crunch h/ in mouth

Paired with: gaapandan vti

gaapandan vti crunch it in mouth

Paired with: gaapam vta

gaapanjige vai s/he crunches things in mouth

crush
vt
crush by foot or body
zhishigoshkan vti crush it (by foot or body)

Paired with: zhishigoshkaw vta

zhishigoshkaw vta crush h/ (by foot or body)

Paired with: zhishigoshkan vti

crush by weight
zhishigoshkoode vii it is crushed by weight

Paired with: zhishigoshkoozo vai

zhishigoshkoozo vai s/he is crushed by weight

Paired with: zhishigoshkoode vii

crush with hands
zhishigobidoon vti2 crush it (with hands)

Paired with: zhishigobizh vta

zhishigobizh vta crush h/ (with hands)

Paired with: zhishigobidoon vti2

crush using something
zhishigwa'an vti mash, crush it (using something)

Paired with: zhishigwa' vta

zhishigwa' vta mash, crush h/ (using something)

Paired with: zhishigwa'an vti

zhishigwa'ige vai s/he mashes, crushes something (using something)

crust
n
crust of the snow
onaabanad vii there is a crust on the snow

walk on the crust of the snow
animadewe vai s/he goes, walks away (in the other direction) on the snow crust

babaamadewe vai s/he goes, walks about on the snow crust

bimadewe vai s/he goes, walks along on the snow crust

biidadewe vai s/he comes, walks here on the snow crust

inadewe vai s/he goes, walks to a certain place on the snow crust

ondadewe vai s/he comes, goes, walks from a certain place on the snow crust

crutch
n
crutch
aajiningwa'on ni a crutch

edawi-zaka'on ni a crutch

use crutches
edawi-zaka'o vai s/he uses crutches

cry
vi
cry
mawi vai s/he cries, weeps

mawim vta cry for h/

Paired with: mawindan vti

mawindan vti cry for it

Paired with: mawim vta

almost crying
gaachimo vai s/he is tearful, is almost crying, cries easily, is fussy

always crying
gaachimoshki vai s/he is always crying, is a crybaby

arrive crying
bagamademo vai s/he arrives crying

come crying
biidademo vai s/he comes crying

come from a certain place crying
ondademo vai s/he cries for a certain reason, comes from a certain place crying

cry a certain way
inademo vai s/he cries a certain way, goes to a certain place crying

cry a little
mawiinsiwi vai s/he cries a little

cry constantly
aabidademo vai s/he cries constantly

cry easily
gaachimo vai s/he is tearful, is almost crying, cries easily, is fussy

cry for a certain reason
ondademo vai s/he cries for a certain reason, comes from a certain place crying

cry from being angry
mookogidaazo vai s/he cries from anger

cry from being burned
mookwaakizo vai s/he cries from being burned

cry from being drenched
mookwaabaawe vai s/he cries from being drenched

cry from being hungry
mookwanaandam vai2 s/he cries from being hungry

cry from being scared
mookwaanimizi vai s/he cries from fear

cry from falling down or hitting
mookoshin vai s/he cries from falling down or hitting something

cry in a certain place
danademo vai s/he cries, weeps in a certain place

cry secretly
giimoodademo vai s/he cries secretly

cry while drunk
mookobii vai s/he cries while being drunk

cry to go along
mookawaakii vai s/he cries to go along

mookawaazh vta cry to go along with h/; cry for h/

go about crying
babaamademo vai s/he goes about crying

go along crying
bimademo vai s/he goes along crying

go away crying
animademo vai s/he goes away crying

go to a certain place crying
inademo vai s/he cries a certain way, goes to a certain place crying

hit and make cry
mookoganaam vta make h/ cry by hitting

mookoganaandiwag vai they make each other cry by hitting

make cry
moo' vta make h/ cry

make cry by grabbing or holding
mookobizh vta make h/ cry by grabbing or holding

pretend to cry
mawikaazo vai s/he pretends to cry

mawiikaazo vai s/he pretends to cry

start crying
maadademo vai s/he starts to cry

stop crying
giishkowe vai s/he stops crying; s/he stops making vocal noise

stub toe and cry
mookozideshin vai s/he stubs h/ toe and cries

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.