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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

total
v
total up
asigagindaaso vai s/he adds, totals

maawandoogindaaso vai s/he totals up (as an account)

maawandoogindan vti total it up (as an account)

totem
n
totem
indoodem nad my clan

gidoodem nad your clan

odoodeman nad h/ clan

have a totem
odoodemi vai s/he has a clan

odoodemindiwag vai they have the same clan

touch
[be close]
vi
lie touching
daangishin vai s/he lies touching

Paired with: daangisin vii

daangisin vii it lies touching

Paired with: daangishin vai

put touching
daangishim vta put h/ touching

Paired with: daangisidoon vti2

daangisidoon vti2 put it touching

Paired with: daangishim vta

touch
[feel]
vt
touch
daangin vta touch h/ (with hand)

Paired with: daanginan vti

daanginan vti touch it (with hand)

Paired with: daangin vta

daanginamaw vta touch (it) for h/

test by touch
gagwedin vta test h/ or it (animate) by touch

Paired with: gagwedinan vti

gagwedinan vti test it by touch

Paired with: gagwedin vta

touch wrong one
wanin vta take, touch h/ (the wrong one)

Paired with: waninan vti

waninan vti hold, take, touch it the wrong way or the wrong one

Paired with: wanin vta

wake by touch
amadin vta wake h/, wake h/ (by touching with the hand)

tourist
n
tourist
bebaamaadizid na-v a tourist; a traveller

tow
vt
tow
zagapijigan ni
  1. something towed: a trailer, a towed boat
  2. something used for hitching: a hitch, a tow rope

See also: zagapijigan na

zagapidoon vti2 tie on, tow, hitch it

Paired with: zagapizh vta

zagapizh vta tie on, tow, hitch h/

Paired with: zagapidoon vti2

zagapide vii it is tied on, towed, hitched

Paired with: zagapizo vai

zagapijige vai s/he ties on, tows, hitches things

zagapizo vai it (animate) is tied on, towed, hitched

Paired with: zagapide vii

tow rope
adj
tow rope
zagapijigan ni
  1. something towed: a trailer, a towed boat
  2. something used for hitching: a hitch, a tow rope

See also: zagapijigan na

toward
prep
toward the speaker
bi- pv dir here; hither; this way; toward the speaker

run toward
mawinadan vti run at, rush at, charge it

Paired with: mawinazh vta

towel
n
towel
giziingwe'on ni [S] a towel

giziingwe'on na [N] a towel

See also: giziingwe'on ni [S]

dish towel
giziiyaabika'igan ni [BL] a dish towel

town
n
town
oodena ni town

form a town
oodetoo vai s/he goes to town, stays in town, lives in town; [plural] they form a town or community

live in a town
oodetoo vai s/he goes to town, stays in town, lives in town; [plural] they form a town or community

oodenawi'idiwag vai they live together in a camp or town

live on the end of town
ishkwege vai s/he lives at the end of town, lives in the last house

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
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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.