Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

foam
n
foam
biite ni foam

foamy
adj
foamy
biitewan vii it is foamy

fog
n
fog
awan vii it is foggy, there is fog

gashkawan vii it is a dense fog

foggy
adj
foggy
awan vii it is foggy, there is fog

fold
vt
fold (sheet-like)
biskiigin vta fold it (animate; sheet-like) (with hand)

Paired with: biskiiginan vti

biskiiginan vti fold it (sheet-like)

Paired with: biskiigin vta

biskiiginige vai s/he folds things (as something sheet-like)

biskiiginigaade vii it is folded (by someone) [as something sheet-like]

biskiigisin vii it is folded (sheet-like)

Paired with: biskiigishin vai

biskiigishin vai s/he is folded (as something sheet-like)

Paired with: biskiigisin vii

ozhiigin vta roll h/ [cigarette]; fold, prepare, set h/ (something sheet-like)

Paired with: ozhiiginan vti

ozhiiginan vti fold, prepare, set it (something sheet-like)

Paired with: ozhiigin vta

ozhiiginamaw vta fold, prepare, set it (something sheet-like) for h/; roll (a cigarette) for h/

fold body
biskijiitaa vai s/he bends, folds, flexes h/ body

babiiskijiitaa vai s/he bends, folds, flexes h/ body repeatedly

folded
adj
folded
biskaa vii it is bent over, folded

biskiiginigaade vii it is folded (by someone) [as something sheet-like]

follow
[move along a route]
vt
follow a trail
maada'adoo vai s/he goes off following a trail

maada'adoon vti2 start following it (road or trail)

Paired with: maada'azh vta

maada'azh vta go off following h/ trail

Paired with: maada'adoon vti2

follow a trail along
bima'adoo vai s/he follows a trail along

bima'adoon vti2 follow it along as a trail

Paired with: bima'azh vta

bima'azh vta track h/ along, follow h/ trail along

Paired with: bima'adoon vti2

follow a trail away
anima'adoo vai s/he follows a trail away

anima'adoon vti2 follow it away as a trail

Paired with: anima'azh vta

anima'azh vta follow h/ trail away

Paired with: anima'adoon vti2

follow a trail here
biida'adoo vai s/he follows a trail here

biida'adoon vti2 follow it as a trail here

Paired with: biida'azh vta

biida'azh vta follow h/ trail here

Paired with: biida'adoon vti2

follow a trail to a certain place
ina'adoo vai s/he walks a certain way or to a certain place on a trail

ina'adoon vti2 follow it as a trail to a certain place

Paired with: ina'azh vta

ina'azh vta follow h/ trail to a certain place

Paired with: ina'adoon vti2

follow
[go behind]
vt
follow
biminizha' vta follow h/ along

Paired with: biminizha'an vti See also: biminizha'wi vta

biminizha'an vti follow it along, pursue it

Paired with: biminizha' vta

biminizha'ige vai s/he follows things along

aanikeshkaw vta stand next to or in place of h/, follow in h/ steps, suceed h/

follow
[obey something]
vt
follow instructions
gikinootaw vta imitate what h/ says or sounds like, follow h/ instructions

Fond du Lac
place
Fond du Lac
Nagaajiwanaang name place Fond du Lac Reservation

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.