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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

minomaagwad vii it smells good, has a good smell

Paired with: minomaagozi vai

minomaagwegad vii it (sheet-like) smells good

Paired with: minomaagwegizi vai

minomaagwegizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) smells good

Paired with: minomaagwegad vii

minomaam vta like the smell of h/

Paired with: minomaandan vti

minomaandan vti like the smell of it

Paired with: minomaam vta

minomaas vta spread a good smell by cooking or burning h/

Paired with: minomaasan vti

minomaasan vti spread a good smell by cooking or burning it

Paired with: minomaas vta

minomaasige vai s/he spreads a good smell by cooking or burning something

minomaaso vai s/he smells good burning or cooking

Paired with: minomaate vii

minomaaswi vta [NI]

► minomaas vta

minomaate vii it smells good burning or cooking

Paired with: minomaaso vai

minonan vti hold, handle, grip it right

minonan vti like how it looks; it looks good to one

Paired with: minonaw vta

minonaw vta like how h/ looks; s/he looks good to one

Paired with: minonan vti

minonaagozi vai s/he or it (animate) looks good, looks nice

Paired with: minonaagwad vii

minonaagwad vii it looks good, looks nice

Paired with: minonaagozi vai

minongwaam vai [ML] s/he sleeps well

See also: minongwaami vai [RL]

minongwaami vai [RL] s/he sleeps well

See also: minongwaam vai [ML]

minonikaadan vti give it a nice name

minonikaazo vai s/he has a nice name

minop vta find h/ tastes good, like the taste of h/

Paired with: minopidan vti

minopidan vti find it tastes good, like the taste of it

Paired with: minopozh vta

(detransitive) minopijige vai s/he likes the taste of something
minopijige vai s/he likes the taste of something

minopogozi vai s/he tastes good

Paired with: minopogwad vii

minopogwad vii it tastes good

Paired with: minopogozi vai

minopozh vta find a good taste in h/

minose vai s/he has things go well for h/, gets along well, has good luck

Paired with: minose vii

minose vii it goes well

Paired with: minose vai

minosidoon vti2 put it in the right position; perform, express it well (speaking, singing, or writing)

Paired with: minoshim vta

minosin vii it lies in a good position, fits well in place

Paired with: minoshin vai

minoshim vta put h/ in the right position

Paired with: minosidoon vti2

minoshin vai s/he lies comfortably, lies in a good position

Paired with: minosin vii

minotam vai2 s/he likes hearing something, likes the sound

minotan vti like hearing it, like how it sounds

Paired with: minotaw vta

minotaw vta like hearing h/, like how s/he sounds

Paired with: minotan vti

minotaagozi vai s/he sounds good

Paired with: minotaagwad vii

minotaagwad vii it sounds good

Paired with: minotaagozi vai

minotoon vti2 make it nice, build it well

(detransitive) minochige vai s/he does things well, does a good job
minowe vai s/he has a good voice, speaks well

minoz vta cook h/ well

Paired with: minozan vti

minozan vti cook it well

Paired with: minoz vta

minozekwe vai s/he cooks well

minozo vai s/he is well cooked

minookamii vai s/he is sure-footed

minoonagad vii it is nice boat

minwabi vai s/he sits comfortably

minwadaawangaa vii it is nice and sandy

minwadinaa vii it is a nice hill

minwadowe vai s/he has nice fur

minwa'amaazo vai s/he sounds happy singing

minwakamigaa vii it is nice ground, level ground

minwakide vii it stands upright, stands well

Paired with: minwakizo vai

minwakizo vai it (animate) stands upright, stands well

Paired with: minwakide vii

minwamanji'o vai s/he feels good, is in good health

See also: minomanji'o vai

minwamon vii it (road or trail) is good

minwanaamo vai s/he breathes well, has good breathing

minwanjige vai s/he eats well, likes what s/he eats

(causative) minwanjige' vta feed h/ well (with a good diet)
(reflexive) minwanjige'idizo vai s/he feds h/ self well, has a good diet
minwanjige' vta feed h/ well (with a good diet)

minwanjige'idizo vai s/he feds h/ self well, has a good diet

minwapidoon vti2 tie it well

minwapikaade vii it is nicely braided

Paired with: minwapikaazo vai

minwapikaazh vta braid h/ hair well

minwapikaazo vai s/he has nice braids; it (animate) is nicely braided

Paired with: minwapikaade vii

minwapike vai s/he braids things well

(applicative) minwapikaazh vta braid h/ hair well
minwashkime vai s/he weaves snowshoe webbing nicely

minwashkine vii it fits well; it is well filled

Paired with: minwashkine vai

minwashkine vai s/he fits well; s/he is well filled

minwashkiigaa vii it is a nice and level muskeg

minwate vii it is a nice house, is a nice room; it (a dwelling) is in good order

minwaabadad vii it is very useful, is of good use

Paired with: minwaabadizi vai

minwaabadizi vai s/he is very useful, is of good use

Paired with: minwaabadad vii

minwaabaji' vta get good use of h/

Paired with: minwaabajitoon vti2

minwaabajitoon vti2 get good use of it

Paired with: minwaabaji' vta

minwaabam vta like the look of h/

Paired with: minwaabandan vti

minwaabamewizi vai s/he is admired, is respected

minwaabaminaagozi vai s/he or it (animate) looks good, looks nice

Paired with: minwaabaminaagwad vii

minwaabaminaagwad vii it looks good, looks nice

Paired with: minwaabaminaagozi vai

minwaabandan vti like the look of it

Paired with: minwaabam vta

minwaabewizi vai he has a good build

minwaabi vai s/he has good eyesight, sees well

minwaabide vai s/he has good teeth

minwaabikad vii it is good (as something mineral)

Paired with: minwaabikizi vai

minwaabikizi vai s/he is good (as something mineral)

Paired with: minwaabikad vii

minwaabiiga'ige vai

minwaadizi vai s/he is a good person (leads a good life, has a good character, is honest)

minwaadiziwin ni good character, kindness

minwaadodan vti tell good news of it

Paired with: minwaajim vta

minwaagamide vii it is well brewed

minwaagamin vii it (a liquid) tastes good

minwaagamipidan vti like the taste of it (liquid)

minwaagamitoon vti2 make it (a liquid) good

minwaagiyawe vai s/he has a nice body build, has good posture

minwaajim vta tell good news of h/

Paired with: minwaadodan vti

minwaajimo vai s/he tells good news, tells a good story

minwaakide vii it is nicely pictured, looks good in a picture; it is nicely cooked, toasted, or smoked

Paired with: minwaakizo vai

minwaakizan vti burn, singe, or cook it nicely; take a good picture (photograph) of it

Paired with: minwaakizwi vta

minwaakizo vai s/he or it (animate) is nicely pictured (photographed), looks good in a photogragh; it (animate) is nicely burned, singed, toasted, or cooked

Paired with: minwaakide vii

minwaakizwi vta burn, singe, or cook it (animate) nicely; take a good picture (photograph) of h/ or it (animate)

Paired with: minwaakizan vti

minwaakozi vai s/he is good (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: minwaakwad vii

minwaakwad vii it is good (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: minwaakozi vai

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.