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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

dark
[color]
adj
dark
makadewaa vii it (canoe) is black, is dark (in color)

Paired with: makadewizi vai

makadewizi vai s/he is black, is dark

Paired with: makadewaa vii

dark bark
makadewanagekozi vai it (animate) has dark bark

Paired with: makadewanagekwad vii

makadewanagekwad vii it has dark bark

Paired with: makadewanagekozi vai

dark colored
bishagiishkaande vii it is dark colored

Paired with: bishagiishkaanzo vai

bishagiishkaanzo vai s/he is dark colored

Paired with: bishagiishkaande vii

dark clouds
makadewaanakwad vii it is a dark cloud

See also: makadeyaanakwad vii

makadeyaanakwad vii it is a dark cloud

See also: makadewaanakwad vii

dark snow
makadewaagonagaa vii it is dark dirty snow

date
n
certain date
daso-giizhigad vii it is a certain date

certain date of the month
inaginzo vai
  1. s/he has a certain cost, has a certain price
  2. it is a certain date (of a month)

Paired with: inaginde vii See also: inangizo vai

daughter
n
daughter
indaanis nad my daughter

nindaanis nad my daughter

gidaanis nad your daughter

odaanisan nad h/ daughter

have daughter
odaani vai s/he has a daughter

odaanisi vai s/he has a daughter

odaanisim vta have h/ as a daughter

stepdaughter
nindoozhimikwem nad my stepdaughter

gidoozhimikwem nad your stepdaughter

odoozhimikweman nad h/ stepdaughter

daughter-in-law
n
daughter-in-law
na'aanganikwe na a daughter-in-law

dawn
n
dawn
waaban vii
  1. it is tomorrow
  2. it is dawn

dawn comes
biidaaban vii dawn comes; it is daybreak

light at dawn
waaseyaaban vii it is light at dawn

day
n
day
giizhig na day; heaven; sky

giizhigad vii it is day

absent a certain number of days
dasogonendi vai s/he is gone a certain number of days, is absent a certain number of days

all day
gabe-giizhig adv tmp all day

See also: gabe-giizhik adv tmp

gabe-giizhik adv tmp all day

See also: gabe-giizhig adv tmp

bad day
maazhi-giizhigad vii it is a bad day

certain day of the month
dasogonagizi vai s/he is a certain day of the month; s/he is a certain number of days old

certain day of the week
izhi-giizhigad vii it is a certain day of the week

certain number of days
daso-giizhik qnt num a certain number of days; so many days

dasogon qnt num a certain number of days; so many days

dasogonagad vii it is a certain number of days; it is so many days

certain number of days old
dasogonagizi vai s/he is a certain day of the month; s/he is a certain number of days old

day after tomorrow
awaswaabang adv tmp day after tomorrow

day before yesterday
awasonaago adv tmp day before yesterday

every day
endaso-giizhik adv tmp every day

first day
maadaginzo vai the month begins, it is the first (of the month)

gone a certain number of days
dasogonendi vai s/he is gone a certain number of days, is absent a certain number of days

nice day
mino-giizhigad vii it is a nice day

so late in the day
apiichi-giizhigad vii it is so late in the day

● DAYS OF THE WEEK
Sunday
anama'e-giizhigad vii it is Sunday

Monday
ishkwaa-anama'e-giizhigad vii it is Monday

Tuesday
niizho-giizhigad vii it is Tuesday

Wednesday
aabitawise vii it is Wednesday

See also: aabitoose vii

aabitoose vii it is Wednesday

See also: aabitawise vii

Thursday
niiwo-giizhigad vii it is Thursday

niiyo-giizhigad vii it is Thursday

Friday
naano-giizhigad vii it is Friday

Saturday
giziibiigisaginige-giizhigad vii it is Saturday

See also: giziibiigisaginigewi-giizhigad vii [C]

giziibiigisaginigewi-giizhigad vii [C] it is Saturday

See also: giziibiigisaginige-giizhigad vii

ishkwaajanokii-giizhigad vii it is Saturday

daybreak
n
daybreak
biidaaban vii dawn comes; it is daybreak

daylight
n
dance until daylight
waabanishimo vai s/he dances until daylight

sing until daylight
waabana'amaazo vai s/he sings until daylight

sit up until daylight
waabanabi vai s/he sits up until daylight

work until daylight
waabananokii vai s/he works until daylight

dead
adj
dead
nibo vai s/he dies, is dead

have a feast honoring the dead
jiibenaake vai s/he has a feast honoring the dead

pretend to be dead
nibookaazo vai s/he pretends to be dead

dead center
adv
hit dead center
miikwa' vta hit h/ dead center with something

Paired with: miikwa'an vti

miikwa'an vti hit it dead center with something

Paired with: miikwa' vta

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.