#anishinaabemowin
WIIYAW-HER BODY (IN ANISHINAABEMOWIN)
- oshtigwaan- her head
- wiinizisan- her hairs
- odinimaangan- her shoulder
- onik- her arm
- odooskwan- her elbow
- oninj- her hand
- onoogan- her hip
- okaad- her leg
- ogidig- her knee
- ozid- her foot
Note: Most body part words in Anishinaabemowin are “inalienable.” This means you have to say HER head, MY head, YOUR head. You can’t simply say “a head” without specifying who it belongs to. This is what the o-orod-on most of the words refers to.
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How Does Language Immersion Education Benefit Native Children? Wicoie Nandagikendan Dakota/Ojibwe Immersion school
Ojibwe Language Revitalization at University of Minnesota
AKI EZHINAAGWAK -GEOGRAPHY (IN OJIBWE)
Note: there are some features on this map that either don’t have words in Ojibwe (because they are from a geography Ojibwe people historically weren’t familiar with) or because I don’t know them. I did not make this chart, unfortunately it was on reddit with no attribution. My apologies.
wajiw- mountain
misaakwam- iceberg
gakijiwan- it is a waterfall
gichi-mikwam- glacier
ishkodewadinaa- it is a volcano
ziibiins- stream
gichigami - sea
boodaajiwanibiise- it is a geyser
dootoogakimigaa - it is tundra
zaaga’igan- lake
bikwadinaa- it is a hill
basadinaa- it is a valley
waabishkiki- swamp
wiikwed- bay
waazh- cave
basakamigaa- it is a canyon
zaagiing- at the inlet
ziibi- river
desaabik- mesa
baatekamigaa- it is a desert
babiikwadaawangaa- there are sand dunes
neyaashi- point
jiigibiig- on the sohre
mashkode- prairie, plains
minisikaa- there is an archipelago
minis- island
aazhibik- cliff
mitigwaki- forest
aazhawaawangaa- it is an isthmus
mashkiig- marsh
ziibiikaajigan- canal
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miigisapikan ingii-ozhitoon noongom!
ZHIIZHOOBINGWE’ODIZOWIN-MAKEUP (IN OJIBWE)
Here is a tiktok of a friend of mine from school applying makeup in Ojibwe! The words she uses are below:
inga-zhiizhoobiingwe’odiz - I’m going to put on makeup
waabishkiingwechigan - highlighter
miskwanowechigan - blush
wezaawaagindaabajitoon - I use the brown one
wezaawaagmiinawaaindaabajitoon - I use the brown again
wezaawaa-zhooniyaawaandeg - the gold-colored one
nimiishaabiwinaananindoonizhishitoonan - I make my eyelashes pretty (spelled wrong in video)
indoonizhishi’aagnimaamaayaggaye - I make my eyelashes pretty (spelled wrong in video)
nimiskodoonebii’odiz - I put on lipstick
wayaasideg - shiny/glittery/glossy
ninanaa’ii zhigwa - now I’m all done up, looking good
AKI EZHINAAGWAK -GEOGRAPHY (IN OJIBWE)
Note: there are some features on this map that either don’t have words in Ojibwe (because they are from a geography Ojibwe people historically weren’t familiar with) or because I don’t know them. I did not make this chart, unfortunately it was on reddit with no attribution. My apologies.
wajiw- mountain
misaakwam- iceberg
gakijiwan- it is a waterfall
gichi-mikwam- glacier
ishkodewadinaa- it is a volcano
ziibiins- stream
gichigami - sea
boodaajiwanibiise- it is a geyser
dootoogakimigaa - it is tundra
zaaga’igan- lake
bikwadinaa- it is a hill
basadinaa- it is a valley
waabishkiki- swamp
wiikwed- bay
waazh- cave
basakamigaa- it is a canyon
zaagiing- at the inlet
ziibi- river
desaabik- mesa
baatekamigaa- it is a desert
babiikwadaawangaa- there are sand dunes
neyaashi- point
jiigibiig- on the sohre
mashkode- prairie, plains
minisikaa- there is an archipelago
minis- island
aazhibik- cliff
mitigwaki- forest
aazhawaawangaa- it is an isthmus
mashkiig- marsh
ziibiikaajigan- canal
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“Niminwaabandaanan gimakizineyaabiiman.”
“Miigwech. Ogimaakaan igo ingii-gimoodimaa.”
(note: most of these use the phrase niizh ojichaag or “Two-Spirit” where English says gay/queer/etc, because that’s the closest translation that I can get. I’m also NOT a fluent speaker and these should not be taken as fluent speaker translations as there are a lot of things I’m not 100% sure of here.)
Omaa indayaamin, niizh ojichaag indayaawaanaanig, nagadenimishinaam goda!
“We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it!”
[We are here, we have Two-Spirits, get used to us!]
Niizh ojichaag gidaa-ayaawaag, inaakonigewinan gidaa-gagaanzitaanan
“be gay, do crimes”
[You should have Two-Spirits, you should break laws]
Nibowin gosha i’iw bizaani-ayaawin
“Silence = Death”
[Being silent is death]
Gego bekaa-ayaaken, miigaadan iw majimiskwiiwaakoziwin!
“Act up, fight AIDS!”
[Don’t be quiet, fight the bad-blood disease!]
Ganawenim abinoojiinyag niizh ojichaag gaa-ayaawaawaajin
“Protect trans kids”
[Protect children with Two-Spirits]
Ishpendaagwadoon obimaadiziwiniwaan eyekweg mekadewizijig
“Black trans lives matter”
[The lives of trans women who are Black are highly valued]
Miizhishinaam gidooginiiminaanig megwaa geyaabi omaa ayaayaang
“Give us our roses while we’re still here”
[Give us our roses while we’re still here]
Mii nanaakwiiwin ezhi-ayaayaan
“My existence is resistance”
[It is resistance, the way I am]
Niizh ojichaag daa-mino-doodaagoo dibishkoo gakina bemaadizijig omaa akiing
“Trans rights are human rights”
[Two-Spirits should be treated well like all beings on this earth.]
Nayaano-Nibiimaang-Gichigamiin| The Five Freshwater Seas
Enjoy this map from The Decolonial Atlas featuring place names of the Great Lakes in Anishinaabemowin! Note that the map places east at the top in recognition of its significance to Anishinaabe people.
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miigiwewi-giizhigad- Christmas (gift-giving day)
gichi-anama’e-giizhigad - Christmas (great prayer day)
niibaa-anama’e-giizhigad - Christmas (day of praying at night)
manidoo-niigi-giizhigad - Christmas (day of God’s birth)
manidoo giizisoons - December
agoojigan- a Christmas present miigiwewin - a gift
jiikakamigad - there is a celebration
adik- reindeer
goon- snow
zoogipon- it is snowing
mikwam- ice
anang- star
mitig- tree
wawezhichige- s/he decorates things
wiishkobi-bakwezhigaans- cookie
nagamo- s/he sings
nagamon - song
biboonodaabaan- sled/sleigh
miskwaa- it is red
ozhaawashkwaa- it is green
waabishkaa- it is white
wiiweginige- s/he wraps things
agoodamaw- gift h/ something
miigwech mikwenimiyan - “thank you for thinking of me” (said when receiving gifts)
20 Binaakwii-Giizis | October 2020
ziinginiingwe
s/he puts eye drops in
animate intransitive verb
Imaa oshkiinzhigo-mashkikiiwigamigongingii-ziinginiingwe.
I had eye drops put in at the eye doctor’s office.
Breakdown: ziig- “moving liquid, pour, spill, flow” -n- “by hand” -iingw- “face” -e “[VAI]”
Note: although the root here is ziig-, the nasal from -iingw- has spread so that ziig- is pronounced -ziing- here. Note also the noun form, ziinginiingwaan, which simply means “eye drops.”
19 Binaakwii-Giizis | October 2020
gwaaba’an
scoop it up
intransitive inanimate verb
Imaa akikoong onji-gwaaba’annibi waa-aabajitooyan ji-giziingwe’oyan.
Scoop up some water from that bucket to use to wash your face.
Breakdown:gwaab- “scoop up” -a’ “by tool” -an “[vti]”
18 Binaakwii-Giizis | October 2020
waanikaan
a hole, an excavated pit
inanimate noun
Iwidi biinjayi’ii waanikaaningate.
It is there inside the pit.
Breakdown:waan- “hollow, depression” -ike- “s/he makes something” -n “[noun]”
17 Binaakwii-Giizis | October 2020
ditibise
it rolls, goes around
inanimate intransitive verb
Ditibiseiw makizin.
The tire isrolling.
Breakdown: ditib- “roll” -se “fly, fall, happen spontaneously”
16 Binaakwii-Giizis | October 2020
awasaakwaa
beyond the woods, on the other side of the forest
locative adverb
Awasaakwaaiwidi ingii-o-gabeshimin.
We went over to camp on the other side of the forest.
Breakdown: awas- “beyond” -aakwaa “forest, woods”
15 Binaakwii-Giizis | October 2020
manaaji’
respect, spare, go easy on h/
transitiveanimateverb
Gakina awiya gidaa-manaaji’aa.
You should respecteveryone.
Breakdown:manaad- “respect, spare, honor” ‘ “[vta, cause h/ to act]
14 Binaakwii-Giizis | October 2020
bebaamaadizid
a traveler, tourist (pl: bebaamaadizijig)
animate participle
Inaajimowagbebaamaadizijig.
This is a story touriststell.
Breakdown: from the verb babaamaadizi “s/he travels around,” babaam- “around, here and there” -aad- “a certain way of life” -izi “[vai]”
13 Binaakwii-Giizis | October 2020
zhegoode
s/he crawls into a tight space
animate intransitive verb
Anaamisagonggii-izhi-zhegoode.
He crawled in under the floor.
Breakdown:zhegw- “in a tight space,” -oode “crawl”
12 Binaakwii-Giizis | October 2020
biboonagizi
s/he is so many years old
animate intransitive verb
Aaniin endaso-biboonagizid?
How many years old is she?
Breakdown:biboon- “winter” -ag- ?? -izi “[VAI ending]”
Note:biboonagizi is rarely used on its own, it is pretty much always combined with a number or daso- “a certain number”
11 Binaakwii-Giizis | October 2020
weweni
carefully, properly, correctly
particle / adverb
Wewenigidaa-naanaagadawendam waa-izhichigeyan.
You should think carefully about what you are going to be doing.
Breakdown: Uncertain. It’s a particle, so this is about as broken down as it gets.
10 Binaakwii-Giizis | October 2020
giizikonaye
s/he gets undressed, takes of h/ clothes
animate intransitive verb
Gaa-kiiweyaan,gaa-izhi-giizikonayeyaangawishimoyaan.
After I got home, I got undressed and went to bed.
Breakdown:From giit- “to remove, take off” and -ikonaye “s/he is dressed, has clothes”
