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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

custom
n
have a certain custom
izhitwaa vai s/he has a certain custom or belief, practices a certain religion

it was the custom to
iko pc asp used to; formerly, previously, some time ago; it was the custom to...

See also: ako pc asp ; ko pc asp

cut
vt
cut
giishkizh vta cut h/ or it (animate); cut h/ or it (animate) off or through

Paired with: giishkizhan vti See also: giishkizhwi vta [NI]

giishkizhan vti cut it; cut it off or through

Paired with: giishkizh vta ; giishkizhwi vta [NI]

giishkizhige vai s/he cuts something off, cuts through something

giishkizhodizo vai s/he cuts h/ self

cut a certain way
inizh vta cut h/ or it (animate) a certain way

Paired with: inizhan vti See also: inizhwi vta [NI]

inizhan vti cut it a certain way

Paired with: inizh vta ; inizhwi vta [NI]

inizhamaw vta cut (it) a certain way for h/

inizhige vai s/he cuts (things) a certain way

inizhigaade vii it is cut a certain way (by someone),"they" cut it a certain way

inizhigaazo vai s/he is cut a certain way (by someone), "they" cut h/ a certain way

cut a piece off
bakwezh vta cut a piece off h/

Paired with: bakwezhan vti

bakwezhan vti cut a piece off it

Paired with: bakwezh vta

bakwezhige vai s/he cuts pieces off something

cut accidentally
bitizh vta cut h/ accidentally

Paired with: bitizhan vti

bitizhan vti cut it accidentally

Paired with: bitizh vta

bitikozh vta cut h/ accidentally (with a knife)

Paired with: bitikodan vti

bitikodan vti cut it accidentally (with a knife)

Paired with: bitikozh vta

cut cards
bakwenige vai s/he cuts cards

cut fine
biisizhan vti cut it into small pieces, dice it

Paired with: biisizh vta

biisizh vta cut h/ into small pieces, dice h/

Paired with: biisizhan vti

cut firewood
manise vai s/he harvests, cuts firewood

manisaw vta cut (it) as firewood for h/

manisaadan vti cut it as firewood

giishka'ise vai s/he cuts firewood

cut fringe
niisiiwezh vta cut fringe in h/

Paired with: niisiiwezhan vti

niisiiwezhan vti cut fringe in it

Paired with: niisiiwezh vta

niisiiwezhigaade vii it cut into a fringe (by someone), "they" cut it into fringe

niisiiwezhigaazo vai s/he is cut into fringe (by someone), "they" cut it into fringe

cut hair
giishkikozh vta cut h/ hair, give h/ a haircut

giishkikozhiwe vai s/he cuts hair

cut heel
giishkidoondaneshin vai s/he cuts h/ heel on something

cut into a circle
waawiyezhan vti cut it round into a circle

Paired with: waawiyezh vta ; waawiyezhwi vta [NI]

waawiyezh vta cut it (animate) round into a circle

Paired with: waawiyezhan vti See also: waawiyezhwi vta [NI]

waawiyezhigaade vii it is cut round into a circle (by someone), "they" cut it round into a circle

waawiyezhigaazo vai it (animate) is cut round into a circle (by someone), "they" cut it (animate) round into a circle

cut into strips
baanizhan vti cut it into strips, filet it

Paired with: baanizh vta

cut long (string-like)
ginwaabiigizh vta cut it (animate; string-like) long

Paired with: ginwaabiigizhan vti See also: ginwaabiigizhwi vta [NI]

ginwaabiigizhan vti cut it (string-like) long

Paired with: ginwaabiigizh vta ; ginwaabiigizhwi vta [NI]

cut meat into strips
baanizhaawe vai s/he cuts meat into strips for preservation, filets fish

cut nail
giishkiganzhiikozh vta cut h/ nails

giishkiganzhiikonidizo vai s/he cuts h/ (own) nails

cut off
giishkizh vta cut h/ or it (animate); cut h/ or it (animate) off or through

Paired with: giishkizhan vti See also: giishkizhwi vta [NI]

giishkizhan vti cut it; cut it off or through

Paired with: giishkizh vta ; giishkizhwi vta [NI]

giishkizhige vai s/he cuts something off, cuts through something

cut out
mamizhan vti cut it out or off to take

Paired with: mamizh vta ; mamizhwi vta [NI]

mamizh vta cut it (animate) out or off to take

Paired with: mamizhan vti See also: mamizhwi vta [NI]

bakwadizhan vti cut it off from something

Paired with: bakwadizh vta

bakwadizh vta cut h/ off from something

Paired with: bakwadizhan vti

cut round
waawiyezhan vti cut it round into a circle

Paired with: waawiyezh vta ; waawiyezhwi vta [NI]

waawiyezh vta cut it (animate) round into a circle

Paired with: waawiyezhan vti See also: waawiyezhwi vta [NI]

waawiyezhigaade vii it is cut round into a circle (by someone), "they" cut it round into a circle

cut short (string-like)
dakwaabiigizh vta cut it (animate; string-like) short

Paired with: dakwaabiigizhan vti See also: dakwaabiigizhwi vta [NI]

dakwaabiigizhan vti cut it (string-like) short

Paired with: dakwaabiigizh vta ; dakwaabiigizhwi vta [NI]

cut so thick
apiitadezhan vti cut it so thick; slice it so thick

Paired with: apiitadezh vta

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

Paired with: apiitadezhan vti

cut straight
gwayakozh vta cut h/ or it (animate) straight

Paired with: gwayakozhan vti See also: gwayakozhwi vta [NI]

gwayakozhan vti cut it straight

Paired with: gwayakozh vta ; gwayakozhwi vta [NI]

cut thick
gipagizhan vti cut it thick

Paired with: gipagizh vta

gipagizh vta cut h/ thick

Paired with: gipagizhan vti

cut through
giishkizh vta cut h/ or it (animate); cut h/ or it (animate) off or through

Paired with: giishkizhan vti See also: giishkizhwi vta [NI]

giishkizhan vti cut it; cut it off or through

Paired with: giishkizh vta ; giishkizhwi vta [NI]

cut through by burning
zhaabwaakiz vta
  1. cut through h/ (by burning)
  2. x-ray h/

Paired with: zhaabwaakizan vti

zhaabwaakizan vti
  1. cut through it (by burning)
  2. x-ray it

Paired with: zhaabwaakiz vta

cut timber
giishka'aakwe vai s/he cuts timber

cut to pieces
bigishkizh vta cut h/ into small pieces, dice h/

Paired with: bigishkizhan vti

bigishkizhan vti cut it to pieces

Paired with: bigishkizh vta

cut to shape
onikodan vti cut it to shape

Paired with: onikozh vta

onikozh vta cut h/ to shape

Paired with: onikodan vti

ozhiigizhan vti cut (something sheet-like) to shape

Paired with: ozhiigizh vta

cut up
biigozhan vti cut up it with blade

Paired with: biigozh vta

biigozh vta cut up h/ with blade

Paired with: biigozhan vti

biigozhigaade vii it is cut up

biigozhigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is cut up

cut
n
cut on arm
beshinikeshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ arm

cut on chin
beshidaamikaneshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ chin or jaw

cut on face
beshiingweshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ face

cut on foot
beshizideshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ foot

cut on hand
beshininjiishin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ hand

cut on jaw
beshidaamikaneshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ chin or jaw

cut on leg
beshigaadeshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ leg

cut on mouth
beshidooneshin vai s/he gets or has a cut on h/ mouth

get a cut falling or on something
giishkishin vai s/he gets cut falling

make a cut
beshizh vta make a cut or slit on h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: beshizhan vti See also: beshizhwi vta [NI]

beshizhan vti make a cut or slit on it

Paired with: beshizh vta ; beshizhwi vta [NI]

cute
adj
cute
wawiyadendaagwad vii it is thought cute, thought funny (comical)

Paired with: wawiyadendaagozi vai

look cute
wawiyazhinaagozi vai s/he looks cute, looks funny (comical)

Paired with: wawiyazhinaagwad vii

wawiyazhinaagwad vii it looks cute, looks funny (comical)

Paired with: wawiyazhinaagozi vai

sound cute
wawiyazhitaagozi vai s/he sounds cute, sounds funny (comical)

Paired with: wawiyazhitaagwad vii

wawiyazhitaagwad vii it sounds cute, sounds funny (comical)

Paired with: wawiyazhitaagozi vai

think cute
wawiyadendan vti think it funny or cute

Paired with: wawiyadenim vta

wawiyadenim vta think h/ or it (animate) funny or cute

Paired with: wawiyadendan vti

wawiyadendaagozi vai s/he is thought cute, thought funny (comical)

Paired with: wawiyadendaagwad vii

wawiyadendaagwad vii it is thought cute, thought funny (comical)

Paired with: wawiyadendaagozi vai

cutting board
n
cutting board
apizhigan ni a cutting board

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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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.