Search the dictionary Advanced Search

How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

zaasiganike vai s/he makes cracklings

zaasijiwan vii it flows with a ripple

zaaskaagoneyose vai s/he makes a dry rustling sound walking on snow

zaaskibagii vai s/he makes a rustling sound in the leaves

zaaskibatoo vai s/he runs making a rustling sound

zaaskigwaaso vai s/he sews making a rustling sound

zaaskiigibatoo vai s/he rustles something (sheet-like) with h/ running or quick motion; h/ clothing is heard rustling as s/he runs

zaatemaagozi vai s/he or it (animate) smells rancid, smells stale

Paired with: zaatemaagwad vii

zaatemaagwad vii it smells rancid, smells stale

Paired with: zaatemaagozi vai

zaatemaam vta find h/ smells rancid, stale

Paired with: zaatemaandan vti

zaatemaandan vti find it smells rancid, stale

Paired with: zaatemaam vta

zaatepogozi vai it (animate) tastes rancid, tastes stale

Paired with: zaatepogwad vii

zaatepogwad vii it tastes rancid, tastes stale

Paired with: zaatepogozi vai

zaatesin vii it turns rancid

Paired with: zaateshin vai

zaateshin vai it (animate) turns rancid

Paired with: zaatesin vii

zaateyaa vii it is rancid; it is stale

zaatezi vai it (animate) is stale; s/he is rancid

Paired with: zaateyaa vii

zaaziibiskaaj adv man not in a hurry, leisurely, reluctantly, unwillingly

zaaziinjii vai

zegaabam vta have a frightening dream, a scary dream about h/

Paired with: zegaabandan vti

zegaabandam vai2 s/he has a frightening dream, a scary dream

zegaabandan vti have a frightening dream, a scary dream about it

Paired with: zegaabam vta

zegaanakwad vii there are storm clouds, threatening clouds

zegaanimad vii it is a fierce wind, a threatening wind

zegaatese vii it is a scary movie

zegendam vai2 s/he feels scared, feels fearful

zegendan vti think it scary

zegendaagod vii [RL] it is frightening, scary, terrifying

Paired with: zegendaagozi vai See also: zegendaagwad vii

zegendaagozi vai s/he is frightening, scary, terrifying

Paired with: zegendaagwad vii

zegendaagwad vii it is frightening, scary, terrifying

Paired with: zegendaagozi vai See also: zegendaagod vii [RL]

zegibanaanishiinh na [RL] a cedar waxwing

[
Bombycilla cedrorum
]

See also: zegibanwaanishiinh na

zegibanwaanishiinh na a cedar waxwing

[
cedar waxwing
; 
Bombycilla cedrorum
]

See also: zegibanaanishiinh na [RL]

zegigaadeshin vai s/he sprains h/ leg

zegigwayawese vai s/he sprains h/ neck

zegi' vta scare, frighten h/

Paired with: zegitoon vti2

(detransitive) zegi'iwe vai s/he scares people (reciprocal) zegi'idiwag vai they scare each other (reflexive) zegi'idizo vai s/he scares h/ self
zegi'idiwag vai they scare each other

zegi'idizo vai s/he scares h/ self

zegi'iwe vai s/he scares people

zegijiingwaneshin vai s/he sprains h/ knee

zegim vta scare, frighten, intimidate, alarm h/ (verbally)

(reciprocal) zegindiwag vai they scare, frighten, intimidate, alarm each other (verbally)
zeginaagozi vai s/he looks scary, looks frightening; s/he looks scared, looks frightened

Paired with: zeginaagwad vii

zeginaagwad vii it looks scary, looks frightening

Paired with: zeginaagozi vai

zegindiwag vai they scare, frighten, intimidate, alarm each other (verbally)

zegingwashi vai s/he has a nightmare

zeginikeshin vai s/he sprains h/ arm

zegininjiishin vai s/he sprains h/ hand

zegise vai s/he a sudden feeling of fear, is scared suddenly

zegitan vti hear it (something scary)

Paired with: zegitaw vta

zegitaw vta hear h/ (someone scary)

Paired with: zegitan vti

zegitaagozi vai s/he sounds scary, sounds frightening

Paired with: zegitaagwad vii

zegitaagwad vii it sounds scary, sounds frightening

Paired with: zegitaagozi vai

zegitoon vti2 scare, frighten it

Paired with: zegi' vta

zegizi vai s/he is afraid, frightened, scared

(verb of pretending) zegiziikaazo vai s/he pretends to be afraid, frightened, scared
zegizideshin vai s/he sprains h/ foot

zegiziikaazo vai s/he pretends to be afraid, frightened, scared

zegwewe vii it rumbles, roars, resounds

zenibaanh na a ribbon; silk

zenibaanh-babagiwayaan ni a ribbon shirt

zenibaanh-majigoodenh ni a ribbon dress

zenibaawegin ni silk, satin

zesab na a nettle

zesegaandag na a black spruce

[
Picea mariana
]

zesegaandago-bigiw na black spruce pitch

zesegaandagwadab na a black spruce root

zesegaandagwanagek na black spruce bark

zesegizi vai s/he is scared off and on

zesegwaabide'o vai s/he picks h/ teeth

zesegwaabide'on ni a toothpick

zezika adv tmp suddenly

ziko vai s/he spits

(verb of addiction) zikoshki vai s/he always is spitting (applicative) zikwaadan vti spit on it; spit it out of mouth
(detransitive) zikwaajige vai s/he spits on things
(applicative) zikwaazh vta spit on h/ (derived noun) zikowin ni spit, saliva (derived noun) zikwaagan ni a spitoon
zikoshki vai s/he always is spitting

zikowin ni spit, saliva

zikowinaagan ni a spitoon

zikwaadan vti spit it out of mouth; spit on it

Paired with: zikwaazh vta

zikwaagan ni a spitoon

zikwaajige vai s/he spits on things

zikwaazh vta spit on h/

Paired with: zikwaadan vti

zinap na [RL] snuff

zinigobidoon vti2 rub, massage it with something

Paired with: zinigobizh vta

zinigobizh vta rub, massage h/ with something

Paired with: zinigobidoon vti2

zinigobizhiwe vai s/he rubs (people) with something, massages (people)

zinigobizhiwewikwe na a masseuse

zinigobizhiwewinini na a masseur

zinigogaaden vta rub h/ leg, massage h/ leg

zinigojiibizh vta massage h/

(detransitive) zinigojiibizhiwe vai s/he massages people
zinigojiibizhiwe vai s/he massages people

zinigojiibizhiwewikwe na a masseuse

zinigojiibizhiwewinini na a masseur

zinigon vta rub h/ with something

Paired with: zinigonan vti

(reciprocal) zinigonidiwag vai they rub each other with something (reflexive) zinigonidizo vai s/he rubs h/ self with something
zinigonamaw vta rub (it) with something for h/

zinigonan vti rub it with something

Paired with: zinigon vta

(benefactive) zinigonamaw vta rub (it) with something for h/ (detransitive) zinigonige vai s/he rubs (things) with something (verb of undergoing) zinigonigaade vii it is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub it with something (verb of undergoing) zinigonigaazo vai s/he is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub h/ with something
zinigonidiwag vai they rub each other with something

zinigonidizo vai s/he rubs h/ self with something

zinigonigaade vii it is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub it with something

zinigonigaazo vai s/he is rubbed with something (by someone), "they" rub h/ with something

zinigonige vai s/he rubs (things) with something

zinigoninjiin vta massage h/ hand; rub h/ hand

zinigoshkan vti rub it (with foot or body)

Paired with: zinigoshkaw vta

zinigoshkaw vta rub h/ (with foot or body)

Paired with: zinigoshkan vti

zinigozidebizh vta massage h/ foot

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.

  • Audio recordings
  • Images
  • Video
  • Documents

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.