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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

waabaanakwad vii it is grey sky, grey clouds

waabaaso vai it (animate) fades, is faded (from light)

Paired with: waabaate vii

waabaate vii it fades, is faded (from light)

Paired with: waabaaso vai

waabi vai s/he has vision, sees

waabi- pv lex grey, (off)white

waabi-bizhiki na a grey or light-colored cow or ox

waabi-makade ni smokeless gunpowder

waabi-makwa na a white bear

waabi-manoomin ni white rice

waabide vii it turns light (in color)

Paired with: waabizo vai

waabigan na clay

(verb of making) waabiganike vai s/he works or plays with clay; s/he makes plaster or cement waabiganikaade vii
  1. it is made of clay, made of plaster, made of concrete
  2. it is in a cast
waabiganakamigaa vii there is clayey ground

waabiganidaabaan na a cement truck

waabiganikaa vii there is (a lot of) clay; it has clay

waabiganikaade vii
  1. it is made of clay, made of plaster, made of concrete
  2. it is in a cast

Paired with: waabiganikaazo vai

waabiganikaazo vai s/he is made of clay, plaster, or concrete

Paired with: waabiganikaade vii

waabiganike vai s/he makes plaster or cement; s/he works or plays with clay

waabiganimooday na a ceramic vessel: a jug, a crock

waabigwan ni a flower

(verb of abundance) waabigwaniikaa vii there are (many) flowers
waabigwani-giizis na May

waabigwanii vai it (animate) shows buds, blossoms, leaves

waabigwanii-adaawewigamig ni a flower shop

waabigwanii-gitigaan ni a flower garden

waabigwanii-mazinigwaade vii it is embroidered in a floral pattern

waabigwaniikaa vii there are (many) flowers

waabigwaniiwadisan vti dye it pink

Paired with: waabigwaniiwadiswi vta [NI]

waabigwaniiwadiswi vta [NI] dye h/ pink

Paired with: waabigwaniiwadisan vti

waabijii- pv lex grey, (off)white

waabijiigwan na a grey feather

waabijiishkinzhii vai s/he has a grey snout or muzzle

waabijiiwadowe vai

waabijiiyaa vii it is grey

Paired with: waabijiizi vai

waabijiiyaabi vai s/he has grey eyes

waabijiiyaakigane vai s/he has a grey chest, is grey-breasted

waabijiiyaaso vai it (animate) fades in light

Paired with: waabijiiyaate vii

waabijiiyaate vii it fades in the light

Paired with: waabijiiyaaso vai

waabijiizi vai s/he or it (animate) is grey

Paired with: waabijiiyaa vii

waabikwaan ni a strand of grey hair

waabikwe vai s/he has grey hair

waabimon ni [BL] a mirror

waabinewizi vai s/he is pale

waabishkadaawangad vii it (sand-like, powder) is white

Paired with: waabishkadaawangizi vai

waabishkadaawangaa vii there is white sand

waabishkadaawangizi vai s/he (sand-like, powder) is white

Paired with: waabishkadaawangad vii

waabishkadisan vti dye, color it white or a light colour

waabishkadite vii it is dyed, is colored white or a light color

waabishkadowe vai s/he has white fur

waabishkanagekozi vai it (animate); a tree) has white bark

waabishkananiisi na [BL] a harrier

[
Northern harrier
; 
Circus cyaneus
]

waabishkanashkidii vai s/he (a bird) has a white tail

waabishkawedoon vai [ML] s/he has white whiskers

See also: waabishkawedoone vai [N]

waabishkawedoone vai [N] s/he has white whiskers

See also: waabishkawedoon vai [ML]

waabishkaa vii it is white

Paired with: waabishkizi vai

waabishkaabide vai s/he has white teeth

waabishkaabikad vii it is white (as something mineral)

Paired with: waabishkaabikizi vai

waabishkaabikizi vai s/he is white (as something mineral)

Paired with: waabishkaabikad vii

waabishkaabiigad vii it (string-like) is white

Paired with: waabishkaabiigizi vai

waabishkaabiigizi vai it (animate; string-like) is white

Paired with: waabishkaabiigad vii

waabishkaagamin vii it (a liquid) is white

waabishkaakigane vai s/he (a bird, an animal) has a white chest, is white-breasted

waabishkaakozi vai s/he is white (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: waabishkaakwad vii

waabishkaakwad vii it is white (as something stick- or wood-like)

Paired with: waabishkaakozi vai

waabishkaanakwad vii there are white clouds

waabishkaande vii it is colored white

Paired with: waabishkaanzo vai

waabishkaanowe vai s/he (an animal) has a white tail (at the tip)

waabishkaanzo vai s/he or it (animate) is colored white

Paired with: waabishkaande vii

waabishki- pv lex White; white

waabishki-bakwezhigan na white flour

waabishki-bimide ni lard

waabishki-ma'iingan na a white wolf

waabishki-manidoominens na a white bead

waabishki-miigwan na a white feather

See also: waabishkigwan na

waabishkibii'an vti paint it white

(verb of undergoing) waabishkibii'igaade vii it is painted white (by someone), "they" paint it white
waabishkibii'igaade vii it is painted white (by someone), "they" paint it white

waabishkigwan na a white feather

See also: waabishki-miigwan na

waabishkigwane vai s/he (a bird) has white feathers

waabishki'o vai s/he wears white

waabishkikonaye vai s/he dresses in white

waabishkiminagad vii it (something small and round, grain, berry) is white

Paired with: waabishkiminagizi vai

waabishkiminagizi vai it (animate; (something small and round, grain, berry) is white

Paired with: waabishkiminagad vii

waabishkinaagozi vai s/he or it (animate) looks white, appears white

Paired with: waabishkinaagwad vii

waabishkinaagwad vii it looks white, appears white

Paired with: waabishkinaagozi vai

waabishkindibe vai s/he has white hair

waabishkisagad vii it (something board-like) is white

Paired with: waabishkisagizi vai

waabishkisagizi vai it (animate; board-like) is white

Paired with: waabishkisagad vii

waabishkiskawe vai it (animate; fish) has white meat

waabishkishkinzhii vai s/he has a white snout or muzzle

waabishkitigwaane vai [BL]
  1. s/he (animal, bird) has a white head
  2. s/he has white hair

waabishkitoon vti2 make it white

waabishkizi vai s/he or it (animate) is white

Paired with: waabishkaa vii

waabishkizigozi vai s/he (ice) is white

See also: waabishkizigwaa vii

waabishkizigwaa vii it (cake-like, ice) is white, there is white ice

Paired with: waabishkizigozi vai

waabishkiigad vii it (sheet-like) is white

Paired with: waabishkiigizi vai

waabishkiigin ni a sheet; white cloth

waabishkiigizi vai it (animate; sheet-like) is white

Paired with: waabishkiigad vii

waabishkiingwe vai s/he is white-faced

waabishkiingwechigan ni face powder

waabishkiingwechige vai s/he uses face powder

waabishkiingwedowe vai s/he has white fur on h/ face

waabishkiiwe vai s/he is a white person; s/he is pale-complexioned

waabishkiiwed na-v [N] a white person, a whiteman wayaabishkiiwed na-v [S] a white person

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.