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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

gwaashkwanodaage vai s/he commits assault, commits rape

gwaashkwanodaagewin ni assault, rape

gwaashkwaashkwandaabiganoojiinh na a jumping mouse

gwaashkwebiigamitoo vai s/he is heard spashing

gwaashkwe' vta whack, smack h/ (using something)

gwaashkwesidoon vti2 drop it and have it rebound; bounce it

Paired with: gwaashkweshim vta

gwaashkwesin vii it bounces, rebounds

Paired with: gwaashkweshin vai

gwaashkweshim vta drop h/ and have h/ rebound; bounce h/

Paired with: gwaashkwesidoon vti2

gwaashkweshin vai s/he bounces, rebounds

Paired with: gwaashkwesin vii

gwaashkwezi vai s/he is eager, is energetic, is ambitious

gwech adv qnt enough

gwekabi vai s/he turns around while sitting

gwekabiitaw vta turn toward h/ while seated

gwekaabiiginan vti

gwekaadizi vai s/he changes, transforms h/ life

gwekaanimad vii the wind shifts, changes direction

gwekaasin vii it turns, changes direction in the wind

Paired with: gwekaashi vai

gwekaashi vai s/he, it (animate) turns, changes direction in the wind

Paired with: gwekaasin vii

gwekendam vai s/he changes h/ (own) mind

gwekibagizo vai s/he turns suddenly or without warning

gwekibatoo vai s/he turns running

gwekibide vii it turns, changes direction driving

Paired with: gwekibizo vai

gwekibidoon vti2 turn it (with the hands)

Paired with: gwekibizh vta

gwekibizh vta turn h/ or it (animate) (with the hands)

Paired with: gwekibidoon vti2

gwekibizo vai s/he turns driving

Paired with: gwekibide vii

gwekidaabaadan vii pull or drag it so it turns

Paired with: gwekidaabaazh vta

gwekidaabaazh vta pull or drag h/ so h/ is turned, pull or drag it (animate) so it turns

Paired with: gwekidaabaadan vii

gwekigaabawi vai s/he turns while standing

gwekikwebagizo vai s/he turns h/ head quickly

gwekikweni vai s/he turns h/ head around

gwekin vta turn h/ (by hand)

Paired with: gwekinan vti

gwekinamaw vta turn (it) for h/ by hand

gwekinan vti turn it (by hand)

Paired with: gwekin vta

(benefactive) gwekinamaw vta turn (it) for h/ by hand (detransitive) gwekinige vai s/he turns things (by hand) (verb of undergoing) gwekinigaade vii it is turned (by someone) by hand (verb of undergoing) gwekinigaazo vai s/he is turned (by someone) by hand
gwekinaagozi vai s/he is changed in appearance, is transformed

gwekinigaade vii it is turned (by someone) by hand

gwekinigaazo vai s/he is turned (by someone) by hand

gwekinige vai s/he turns things (by hand)

gwekise vai s/he turns suddenly or without warning

Paired with: gwekise vii

gwekise vii it turns suddenly or without warning

Paired with: gwekise vai

gwekisidoon vti2 put it so it is turned

Paired with: gwekishim vta

gwekisin vii it turns lying in place

Paired with: gwekishin vai

gwekishim vta put h/ so s/he is turned, put it (animate) so it is turned

Paired with: gwekisidoon vti2

gwekishin vai s/he turns lying in place

Paired with: gwekisin vii

gwekishkan vti wear it turned around

gwekishkaw vta wear it (animate) turned around

Paired with: gwekishkan vti

gwekitaa vai s/he turns (h/ body); s/he changes h/ way of doing something or h/ belief

gwekiweba'an vti flip it (using something forcefully); turn it around (using something forcefully)

Paired with: gwekiweba'wi vta [BL]

gwekiweba'igan ni a spatula; a turner

gwekiweba'wi vta [BL] flip it (animate) (using something forcefully); turn it (animate) around (using something forcefully)

Paired with: gwekiweba'an vti

gwekiwebin vta flip h/ over; turn h/ quickly

Paired with: gwekiwebinan vti

gwekiwebinan vti flip it over; turn it quickly

Paired with: gwekiwebin vta

(derived noun) gwekiwebinigan na a pancake (verb of making) gwekiwebiniganike vai s/he makes pancakes
gwekiwebinigan na a pancake

gwekiwebiniganens na a pancake [normal small size]

gwekiwebiniganensike vai [BL] s/he makes pancakes (normal small size)

gwekiwebiniganike vai s/he makes pancakes

gwekiigin vta turn or flip it (animate; sheet-like) over

Paired with: gwekiiginan vti

gwekiiginan vti turn or flip it (sheet-like) over

Paired with: gwekiigin vta

gwekwekikweni vai

gwendaaseg ni-v liniment

gwenibii vai s/he gives up, ignores something, quits thinking about something

gwiinawanokii vai s/he is unable to find work, unable to find a job

gwiinawaabam vta fail to see h/, be unable to see h/

Paired with: gwiinawaabandan vti

gwiinawaabandan vti fail to see it, be unable to see it

Paired with: gwiinawaabam vta

gwiinawendan vti miss, feel the absence of it

Paired with: gwiinawenim vta

gwiinawenim vta miss, feel the absence of h/

Paired with: gwiinawendan vti

gwiinawi- pv lex not able; not knowing

gwiinawi-doodam vai2 s/he doesn't know what to do or think, is dumbfounded

gwiinawi-inendam vai2 s/he doesn't know what to think

gwiingwa'aage na a wolverine

[
Gulo gulo
]

gwiingwiishi na a Canada jay

[
grey jay, Canada jay, whisky jack
; 
Perisoreus canadensis
]

gwiinobii vai s/he is unable to find a drink

gwiinom vta miss h/; be lonesome for h/

gwiinoobii vai s/he is unable to find water (or another liquid)

gwiinoobiiga'an vti

gwiishkoshi vai s/he whistles

gwiishkoshim vta whistle to h/

gwiishkoshwewegamide vii it whistles from boiling

gwiishkoshwewegamizo vai s/he whistles from boiling

gwiiwizens na a boy

(verb of being) gwiiwizensiwi vai s/he is a boy (verb of pretending) gwiiwizensikaazo vai s/he pretends to be a boy
gwiiwizensikaazo vai s/he pretends to be a boy

gwiiwizensiwi vai s/he is a boy

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.