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onagindaaso vai s/he sets a price

onaginde vii it has a price or value

Paired with: onaginzo vai

onaginzo vai s/he or it (animate) has a price or value

Paired with: onaginde vii

onagizh nid h/ intestine, gut

onagizhiins ni a sausage; a wiener

onagoode vii it hangs in place

Paired with: onagoojin vai

onagoodoon vti2 hang it in place

Paired with: onagoozh vta

(detransitive) onagoojige vai s/he hangs things in place
onagoojige vai s/he hangs things in place

onagoojin vai s/he or it (animate) hangs in place

Paired with: onagoode vii

onagoozh vta hang h/ in place

Paired with: onagoodoon vti2

onagoozi vai s/he roosts up on something, is perched up on something

onagway nid h/ sleeve

onagwaagani vai s/he has a snare or snares

onakidoon vti2 set it up

Paired with: onakizh vta

onakizh vta set up h/

Paired with: onakidoon vti2

onakizo vai

onamegosi vai s/he has a lake trout or lake trout

onapide vii it is tied in place

Paired with: onapizo vai

onapidoon vti2 tie it in place

Paired with: onapizh vta

(detransitive) onapijige vai s/he ties things in place; s/he harnesses up
onapijige vai s/he harnesses up; s/he ties things in place

onapizh vta tie h/ in place, harnesss h/

Paired with: onapidoon vti2

onapizo vai s/he or it (animate) is tied in place, is harnessed

Paired with: onapide vii

onashkid nid its tail (of a bird)

onashkinachige vai [N] s/he packs, loads things in

onashkinade vii it is loaded

onashkinadoon vti2 [S] pack, load it

Paired with: onashkina' vta See also: onashkinatoon vti2 [N]

onashkina' vta pack, load h/ (e.g., a pipe)

Paired with: onashkinadoon vti2 [S] ; onashkinatoon vti2 [N]

onashkinatoon vti2 [N] pack, load it

Paired with: onashkina' vta See also: onashkinadoon vti2 [S]

onaw nid h/ cheek

See also: onow nid [ML]

onaabam vta choose, select, pick h/ (by sight)

See also: onaabandan vti

onaabanad vii there is a crust on the snow

onaabandamaw vta choose, select, pick it (by sight) for h/

onaabandan vti choose, select, pick it (by sight)

Paired with: onaabam vta

(detransitive) onaabanjige vai s/he chooses, selects, picks things (by sight) (verb of undergoing) onaabanjigaade vii it is chosen, selected, picked (by someone), "they" choose, select, pick it (by sight) (verb of undergoing) onaabanjigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is chosen, selected, picked (by someone), "they" choose, select, pick h/ or it (animate) (by sight) (benefactive) onaabandamaw vta choose, select, pick it (by sight) for h/
onaabani-giizis na March

onaabanjigaade vii it is chosen, selected, picked (by someone), "they" choose, select, pick it (by sight)

onaabanjigaazo vai s/he or it (animate) is chosen, selected, picked (by someone), "they" choose, select, pick h/ or it (animate) (by sight)

onaabanjige vai s/he chooses, selects, picks things (by sight)

onaabeman nad her husband

onaabemi vai s/he has or gets a husband

onaabikishim vta set h/ (rock or metal) in place; set h/ (a clock)

onaabikizh vta cut h/ (mineral) to shape, cut h/ out of metal

Paired with: onaabikizhan vti

onaabikizhan vti cut it (mineral) to shape, cut it out of metal

Paired with: onaabikizh vta ; onaabikizhwi vta [NI]

onaabikizhwi vta [NI]

► onaabikizh vta

onaagan ni a dish, a plate

(derived noun) onaaganens ni [BL] a cup; a small dish (derived noun) onaagaans ni a cup; a small dish
onaaganens ni [BL] a cup; a small dish

See also: onaagaans ni

onaaganike vai

onaagaans ni a cup; a small dish

See also: onaaganens ni [BL]

onaagibidoon vti2 bend it to into shape

Paired with: onaagibizh vta

onaagibizh vta bend h/ into shape

Paired with: onaagibidoon vti2

onaagin vta bend it (animate) into shape, shape it by hand

Paired with: onaaginan vti

onaaginan vti bend it into shape, shape it by hand

Paired with: onaagin vta

onaagonen vta s/he forms or shapes it (animate) as snow

onaagoshi-miijin vti3 eat it for supper

onaagoshi-wiisini vai s/he eats supper

onaagoshi-wiisiniwin ni supper

onaagoshin vii it is evening

onaakon vta decide on, judge, sentence h/

Paired with: onaakonan vti

onaakonan vti decide on, plan, judge it

Paired with: onaakon vta

(detransitive) onaakonige vai s/he decides, plans, judges something; s/he is in court (derived noun) onaakonigewin ni a decision, a policy, a law
onaakonige vai s/he is in court; s/he decides, plans, judges something

onaakonigewin ni a decision, a policy, a law

onaakosidoon vti2 set it up as a frame

onaan nid [LL] [RL] h/ calf (of the leg)

onaanan nad [ML] h/ calf (of the leg)

onaasin vii

ondabi vai s/he sits for a certain reason; s/he sits or lives on a certain side or direction

ondadamon vii it (road or trail) leads from a certain place

ondadaawangose vai s/he walks from a certain place on sand

ondadaawe vai + o s/he buys (it) from a certain place

ondademo vai s/he cries for a certain reason, comes from a certain place crying

ondadewe vai s/he comes, goes, walks from a certain place on the snow crust

ondagoode vii it falls, hangs from a certain place

Paired with: ondagoojin vai

ondagoojin vai s/he or it (animate) hangs, falls from a certain place

Paired with: ondagoode vii

onda'adoo vai s/he comes from a certain place on a path or trail

onda'amaazo vai s/he comes from a certain place singing

onda'ibaan ni a source of water, a well

onda'ibii vai s/he gets, draws water from a certain place

onda'oozh vta transport h/ from a certain place [especially in a boat]

ondakii'ige vai [S] s/he poles a boat from a certain place

See also: ondakii'o vai [BL]

ondakii'o vai [BL] s/he poles a boat from a certain place

See also: ondakii'ige vai [S]

ondakwazhiwe vai s/he paddles from a certain place; s/he swims from a certain place (as a fish)

ondam vta eat h/ from a certain place

Paired with: ondandan vti

ondamakamigizi vai s/he is busy with an activity

ondamanjige vai s/he is busy eating

ondamanokii vai s/he is busy working

ondamanoozo vai s/he is occupied smoking tobacco

ondamataage vai s/he is busy gambling or playing cards

ondamaajimo vai s/he is busy telling a story or the news

ondamaajimotaadiwag vai they are bus talking, conversing with each other

ondamaakizige vai s/he is busy with drinking

ondamaanagidoone vai [N] s/he is busy talking

ondamaawaso vai s/he is tied up with children

ondamaazakonenjige vai s/he is busy shining game

ondamendam vai2 s/he is preoccupied, is worried

ondamendan vti be preoccupied with, worry about it

Paired with: ondamenim vta

ondamendi vai s/he is busy, engaged elsewhere

ondamenim vta be preoccupied with, worry about h/

ondami- pv lex be busy at

ondamibii vai s/he is busy drinking

ondami' vta get in h/'s way; hinder h/; keep h/ busy or occupied

(reciprocal) ondami'idiwag vai they get in each other's way, keep each other busy (detransitive) ondami'iwe vai s/he keeps people busy
ondami'idiwag vai they get in each other's way, keep each other busy

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.