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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

gagwaanisagimaaso vai s/he smells terrible cooking or burning

Paired with: gagwaanisagimaate vii

gagwaanisagimaate vii it smells terrible cooking or burning

Paired with: gagwaanisagimaaso vai

gagwaanisaginaagozi vai s/he looks terrible

Paired with: gagwaanisaginaagwad vii

gagwaanisaginaagwad vii it looks terrible

Paired with: gagwaanisaginaagozi vai

gagwaanisaginigozi vai s/he is terribly heavy

gagwaanisaginigwad vii it is extremely heavy

gagwaanisagipogozi vai s/he tastes terrible

Paired with: gagwaanisagipogwad vii

gagwaanisagipogwad vii it tastes terrible

Paired with: gagwaanisagipogozi vai

gagwaanisagitaagozi vai s/he sounds terrible; s/he sounds awesome

Paired with: gagwaanisagitaagwad vii

gagwaanisagitaagwad vii it sounds terrible

Paired with: gagwaanisagitaagozi vai

gagwaanisagizi vai s/he is mean, is terrible

Paired with: gagwaanisagad vii

gagwe- pv lex try

gagwedaganaam vta box h/

(reciprocal) gagwedaganaandiwag vai they box with each other
(derived noun) gagwedaganaandiwin ni boxing (derived noun) gagwejiganaandiwin ni boxing; a boxing match
gagwedaganaandiwag vai they box with each other

gagwedaganaandiwin ni boxing

gagwedaganewinini na a boxer

gagweda'aakwaadan vti practice shooting it

Paired with: gagweda'aakwaazh vta

gagweda'aakwaazh vta practice shooting it (animate)

gagweda'aakwe vai s/he practices shooting

(applicative) gagweda'aakwaadan vti practice shooting it (applicative) gagweda'aakwaazh vta practice shooting it (animate)
gagwedaagibizh vta test the tension of it (animate) by bending

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

Paired with: gagwedinan vti

gagwedinan vti test it by touch

Paired with: gagwedin vta

gagwedoomigo vai s/he practices riding on horseback

gagwedwe vai s/he asks, asks a question, inquires

(derived noun) gagwedwewin ni a question
gagwedwewin ni a question

gagwejibidoon vti2 test it with the hands, test it by pulling on it

Paired with: gagwejibizh vta

gagwejibizh vta test it (animate) with the hands, test it (animate) by pulling on it

Paired with: gagwejibidoon vti2

gagwejibizo vai s/he practices driving, takes a driving test, takes a test drive

gagwejichige vai s/he tries things, practices

gagwejidaabii'iwe vai s/he practices driving

gagwejiganaandiwin ni boxing; a boxing match

gagweji' vta try getting h/ to...

Paired with: gagwejitoon vti2

gagweji'igoowizi vai s/he is tested (by a higher power)

gagwejikada' vta race h/ in boats

(detransitive) gagwejikada'owe vai s/he races people (in boats) (reciprocal) gagwejikada'odiwag vai they race each other in boats (derived noun) gagwejikada'odiwin ni a canoe or boat race
gagwejikada'odiwag vai they race each other in boats

(derived noun) gagwejikada'odiwin ni a canoe or boat race
gagwejikada'odiwin ni a canoe or boat race

gagwejikada'owe vai s/he races people (in boats)

gagwejikada'wi vta [BL]

► gagwejikada' vta

gagwejikanidiwag vai they race each other

gagwejikanidiwin ni a footrace

gagwejikanidiiwidaabaan ni [RL] a race car

gagwejikazh vta race h/

(reciprocal) gagwejikanidiwag vai they race each other
(derived noun) gagwejikanidiwin ni a footrace
(detransitive) gagwejikazhiwe vai s/he races people
(derived noun) gagwejikazhiwewin ni a race
gagwejikazhiwe vai s/he races people

gagwejikazhiwewidaabaan ni a race car

See also: gagwejikazhiwewidaabaan na

gagwejikazhiwewidaabaan na a race car

See also: gagwejikazhiwewidaabaan ni

gagwejikazhiwewin ni a race

gagwejim vta ask, question h/

(reciprocal) gagwejindiwag vai they ask, question each other (reflexive) gagwejindizo vai s/he asks h/ self something
gagwejimaam vta keep sniffing h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: gagwejimaandan vti

gagwejimaandan vti sniff around for it

Paired with: gagwejimaam vta

(detransitive) gagwejimaanjige vai s/he sniffs around for (things)
gagwejimaanjige vai s/he sniffs around for (things)

gagwejindiwag vai they ask, question each other

gagwejindizo vai s/he asks h/ self something

gagwejitoon vti2 try, test it

Paired with: gagweji' vta

(detransitive) gagwejichige vai s/he tries things, practices
gagwejii vai s/he tests h/ strength, exercises, works out, practices

gagwejiigin vta test it (animate; sheet-like) by touch

Paired with: gagwejiiginan vti

gagwejiiginan vti test it (something sheet-like) by touch

Paired with: gagwejiigin vta

gagwejiiwaadan vti wrestle it

Paired with: gagwejiiwaazh vta

gagwejiiwaanidiwag vai they wrestle each other

gagwejiiwaazh vta wrestle h/

(reciprocal) gagwejiiwaanidiwag vai they wrestle each other
gagwejiiwaazo vai s/he wrestles

gagwejiiwaazoowinini na a wrestler

gagwejiiwigamig ni a gym, gymnasium

gagwezikan vti
  1. try it on
  2. test it (with foot or body)

Paired with: gagwezikaw vta

(detransitive) gagwezikige vai s/he tries on clothes
gagwezikaw vta
  1. test h/ (with foot or body)
  2. try h/ on

Paired with: gagwezikan vti

gagwezikige vai s/he tries on clothes

gakakabwewin ni [BL] a square baking pan

gakakaa vii it is square

Paired with: gakakizi vai

gakakaabikad vii it is square (as something mineral)

Paired with: gakakaabikizi vai

gakakaabikizi vai s/he is square (as something mineral)

Paired with: gakakaabikad vii

gakakaakozi vai s/he is square (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: gakakaakwad vii

gakakaakwad vii it is square (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: gakakaakozi vai

gakaki- pv lex square

gakaki-giziibiiga'iganens ni a laundry (detergent) pod

gakakiboodoon vti2 saw it into blocks

Paired with: gakakiboozh vta

gakakiboozh vta saw it (animate) into blocks

Paired with: gakakiboodoon vti2

gakaki' vta make it (animate) square

Paired with: gakakitoon vti2

gakakisin vii it has a square pattern

Paired with: gakakishin vai

gakakishin vai s/he has a square pattern

Paired with: gakakisin vii

gakakitoon vti2 make it square

Paired with: gakaki' vta

gakakizh vta cut it (animate) square

Paired with: gakakizhan vti

gakakizhan vti cut it into a square or a block; cut it square

Paired with: gakakizh vta ; gakakizhwi vta [NI]

gakakizi vai s/he is square

Paired with: gakakaa vii

gakakizhwi vta [NI] cut it (animate) square

Paired with: gakakizhan vti See also: gakakizh vta

gakakiigad vii it (sheet-like) is square

Paired with: gakakiigizi vai

gakakiigin vta fold it (animate; sheet-like) into a square

Paired with: gakakiiginan vti

gakakiiginan vti fold it (sheet-like) into a square

gakakiigizhan vti cut it (sheet-like) square

gakakiigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is square

Paired with: gakakiigad vii

gakaabikise vai s/he goes over a rock cliff

gakaaga'ogaan ni a house-like lodge

gakaamikijiwan vii it is a waterfall

gakaandawese vai s/he slips or falls off a step

gakeyaa adv loc in the direction of, in that way

gakijiwan vii it is a waterfall

gakina adv qnt all, every

See also: akina adv qnt [S]

gakina awiya pron indf everybody, all of them (a set of beings or animate things)

See also: akina awiya pron indf [ML]

gakina gegoo pron indf everything, all of them (a set of things)

See also: akina gegoo pron indf [ML]

gakiigin vta fold it (animate; sheet-like) at a right-angle or corner

Paired with: gakiiginan vti

gakiiginan vti fold it (sheet-like) at a right angle or corner

Paired with: gakiigin vta

gakiiw adv loc over the ridge; over the portage

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.