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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

woman
n
woman
ikwe na
  1. a woman, a lady
  2. a queen (card)

ikwewi vai s/he is a woman

American woman
gichi-mookomaan-ikwe na an American woman

Asian woman
aniibiishikewikwe na an Asian woman

Black woman
makadewiiyaasikwe na a Black woman; a woman of African descent

Dakota woman
bwaanikwe na a Dakota woman

fine woman
zazegaa-ikwe na a fine woman, a lady; a woman who is well-dressed, good-looking, well-mannered

zazegaa-ikwewi vai she is a fine woman, is a gentlewoman

have woman along
gigikwewe vai s/he has your woman along

Indian woman
anishinaabekwe na an Indian woman; an Ojibwe woman

anishinaabekwewi vai s/he is an Indian woman

ojibwekwe na an Ojibwe woman

Ojibwe woman
ojibwekwe na an Ojibwe woman

anishinaabekwe na an Indian woman; an Ojibwe woman

anishinaabekwewi vai s/he is an Indian woman

old woman
mindimooyenh na an old woman, an old lady

mindimooyenyiwi vai she is an old woman, is an old lady

pretend to be a woman
ikwekaazo vai s/he pretends to be a woman

White woman
gichi-mookomaanikwe na a white woman

woman of mixed ancestry
wiisaakodewikwe na a Metis woman; a Native woman of mixed ancestry

See also: wiisaakodewinini na

young woman
oshki-ikwe na a young woman, an adolescent girl

oshkiniigikwe na a young woman, an adolescent girl

oshkiniigikwewi vai she is a young woman, an adolescent girl

women's dance
n
dance the women's dance
ikwe-niimi vai s/he dances the women's dance

ikwe-niimi'idiwag vai they dance the women's dance

women's dance
ikwe-niimi'idiwin ni women's dance

ikwe-niimi vai s/he dances the women's dance

ikwe-niimi'idiwag vai they dance the women's dance

wonder
[doubt]
vi
wonder how
amanj adv dub I don't know how, I wonder how

See also: namanj adv dub

wonder what
wegodogwen pron dub I don't know what, I wonder what

See also: awegodogwen pron dub

awegodogwen pron dub I don't know what, I wonder what

See also: wegodogwen pron dub

wonder when
amanj apii adv dub I don't know how, I wonder how; I don't know when, I wonder when

See also: namanj apii adv dub

wonder where
dibi adv dub I don't know where, I wonder where

wonder who
awegwen pron dub I don't know who, I wonder who

wonder
[be surprised]
vi
wonder
maamakaadendan vti be amazed at, be astonished at, wonder at it

Paired with: maamakaadenim vta

maamakaadenim vta be amazed at, be astonished at, wonder at h/

Paired with: maamakaadendan vti

wonder
n
wonder
maamakaadendaagozi vai s/he is amazing, is astonishing, is a wonder

Paired with: maamakaadendaagwad vii

maamakaadendaagwad vii it is amazing, is astonishing, is a wonder

Paired with: maamakaadendaagozi vai

wood
n
wood
mitig ni wood, a piece of wood, a stick

mitigowan vii it is wood, is wooden

mitigowi vai s/he is wood, is wooden

dry wood
mishiiwaatig ni (a stick of) dry wood

See also: mishiiwaatig na

mishiiwaatigowan vii it is dry wood

Paired with: mishiiwaatigowi vai

mishiiwaatigowi vai s/he (a tree) is dry, has dry wood

Paired with: mishiiwaatigowan vii

green wood
ashkaatig na a tree with green wood

See also: ashkaatig ni

ashkaatig ni (stick of) green wood

See also: ashkaatig na

kindling wood
biisiga'isaan ni kindling wood

poplar wood
azaadiisag ni poplar wood

azaadiiwi-bigijiisag ni punky poplar wood used for smoking hides

See also: azaadii-biigijiisag ni

put wood on the fire
bagidinise vai s/he puts wood on the fire

rotten wood
biigijiisag ni decayed wood

biigijiisagad vii it (wood) is rotten, falls to pieces; it is punky wood

Paired with: biigijiisagizi vai

biigijiisagizi vai s/he (board, tree) is rotten, falls to pieces

Paired with: biigijiisagad vii

biigijiisagowan vii it is rotten wood, is punk

split wood
daashkiga'ige vai s/he splits wood

under wood
anaamaatig adv loc under wood (e.g., a fallen tree or a stick)

wood splits
daashkigishkaa vii

Paired with: daashkigishkaa vii

daashkigishkaa vai s/he (something of wood) splits

Paired with: daashkigishkaa vii

wood tick
n
wood tick
ezigaa na a wood tick

odezigaami vai s/he has a woodtick or woodticks

woodchuck
n
woodchuck
akakojiish na a woodchuck, a groundhog

[
Marmota monax
]

See also: akakojiishi na

akakojiishi na a woodchuck, a groundhog

[
Marmota monax
]

See also: akakojiish na

wooden
adj
wooden
mitigowan vii it is wood, is wooden

mitigowi vai s/he is wood, is wooden

wooden boat
mitigo-jiimaan ni a wooden boat or canoe

nabagisago-jiimaan ni a wooden boat or canoe

wooden box
mitigo-makak ni a wooden box, a crate

wooden canoe
mitigo-jiimaan ni a wooden boat or canoe

wooden dish
mitigonaagan ni a wooden dish or bowl

wooden ladle
mitigwemikwaan ni a wooden spoon, a wooden ladle

See also: mitigo-emikwaan ni

mitigo-emikwaan ni a wooden spoon, a wooden ladle

See also: mitigwemikwaan ni

wooden spoon
mitigwemikwaan ni a wooden spoon, a wooden ladle

See also: mitigo-emikwaan ni

mitigo-emikwaan ni a wooden spoon, a wooden ladle

See also: mitigwemikwaan ni

woodpecker
n
woodpecker
baapaase na a red-headed woodpecker

[
red-headed woodpecker; downy woodpecker; hairy woodpecker
; 
Melanerpes erythrocephalus; Picoides pubescens; Picoides villosus
]

meme na a pileated woodpecker

[
pileated woodpecker
; 
Dryocopus pileatus
]

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.