Anishinaabemowin
Ojibwe
Algic (Algonquian)
Ojibwe (Anishinaabemowin) is one of the largest Algonquian languages, spoken across the Great Lakes region of the US-Canada border. It is closely related to Ottawa, Algonquin, and Saulteaux, sometimes considered as one macro-language. The 'Double Vowel' Latin orthography by Charles Fiero is the most widely used today, alongside Cree-style syllabics in some communities.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Ojibwe
Water
nibi
/nibi/
Fire
ishkode
/iʃkode/
Sun
giizis
/ɡiːzis/
Moon
dibik-giizis
/dibik ɡiːzis/
Mother
nimaamaa
/nimaːmaː/
Father
indede
/indede/
Eat
wiisini
/wiːsini/
Drink
minikwe
/minikwe/
Love
zaagiʼiwewin
/zaːɡiʔiweːwin/
Heart
odeʼ
/odeʔ/
Tree
mitig
/mitiɡ/
House
wiigiwaam
/wiːɡiwaːm/
Dog
animosh
/animoʃ/
Cat
gaazhagens
/ɡaːʒaɡens/
Hand
ninij
/ninidʒ/
Eye
oshkiinzhig
/oʃkiːnʒiɡ/
Hello
boozhoo
/boːʒoː/
Thank you
miigwech
/miːɡʷetʃ/
One
bezhig
/beʒiɡ/
Good
mino
/mino/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algic (Algonquian) languages
| Meaning | Ojibwe | Potawatomi | Algonquin | Cree (Plains) | Plains Cree | Atikamekw | Menominee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nibi /nibi/ | mbish /mbɪʃ/ | nibì /nɪbiː/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipij/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipiː/ | nipi /nipi/ | nepāew /nəpaːew/ |
| Fire | ishkode /iʃkode/ | shkodé /ʃkode/ | ishkotè /ɪʃkɔteː/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | ickoteo /iʃkoteo/ | eskotēw /eskoteːw/ |
| Sun | giizis /ɡiːzis/ | gises /ɡises/ | kìzis /kiːzɪs/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | pisim /pisim/ | kēsoq /keːsoʔ/ |
| Moon | dibik-giizis /dibik ɡiːzis/ | dbëk-gises /dbək‿ɡises/ | tibik-kìzis /tɪbɪkkiːzɪs/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐍᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐃᐧᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | tipikaw pisim /tipikaw pisim/ | tepāhkēsoq /tepaːhkeːsoʔ/ |
| Mother | nimaamaa /nimaːmaː/ | nge /ŋɡe/ | ningà /nɪŋɡaː/ | ᓂᑲᐎᕀ /nikaːwij/ | ᓂᑳᐃᐧ /nikaːwiː/ | okawi /okawi/ | nekīah /nekiːah/ |
| Father | indede /indede/ | nos /nos/ | nòs /nɔːs/ | ᓄᐦᑖᐎᕀ /noːhtaːwij/ | ᓅᐦᑖᐃᐧ /noːhtaːwiː/ | ohi /ohi/ | nōhnāeh /noːhnaːeh/ |
| Eat | wiisini /wiːsini/ | wisne /wɪsne/ | wìsini /wiːsɪni/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | mitikwa /mitikwa/ | mīcew /miːtʃew/ |
| Drink | minikwe /minikwe/ | mnëkwé /mnəkwe/ | minikwe /mɪnɪkwe/ | ᒥᓂᐦᐠᐌᐤ /minihkweːw/ | ᒥᓂᐦᑴᐤ /minihkweːw/ | minikwa /minikwa/ | menew /menew/ |
| Love | zaagiʼiwewin /zaːɡiʔiweːwin/ | zhawéndan /ʒaweːndan/ | sàgi'à /saːɡiʔaː/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐏᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐃᐧᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | sakitewin /sakitewin/ | kesāenemāew /kesaːenemaːew/ |
| Heart | odeʼ /odeʔ/ | déh /deː/ | odè /ɔdeː/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | mite /mite/ | otēh /oteːh/ |
| Tree | mitig /mitiɡ/ | mtëg /mtəɡ/ | mitig /mɪtɪɡ/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | mihtikw /mihtikw/ | metekoh /metekoh/ |
| House | wiigiwaam /wiːɡiwaːm/ | wigwam /wiɡwam/ | wàkàigan /waːkaːiɡan/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | miciwap /mitʃiwap/ | wīkewam /wiːkewam/ |
| Dog | animosh /animoʃ/ | nemosh /nemoʃ/ | animosh /anɪmɔʃ/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | atim /atim/ | anēm /aneːm/ |
| Cat | gaazhagens /ɡaːʒaɡens/ | gazhag /ɡaʒaɡ/ | — /—/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | minoc /minotʃ/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | ninij /ninidʒ/ | nej /net͡ʃ/ | ninj /nɪntʃ/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /miciciːj/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /micicij/ | kicikon /kitʃikon/ | onehkeh /onehkeh/ |
| Eye | oshkiinzhig /oʃkiːnʒiɡ/ | shkishek /ʃkɪʃek/ | oshkìnzhig /ɔʃkiːnʒɪɡ/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | mickisikw /mitʃkisikʷ/ | oskēsek /oskeːsek/ |
| Hello | boozhoo /boːʒoː/ | bozho /boʒo/ | Kwe /kwe/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | kwei /kwej/ | posoh /posoh/ |
| Thank you | miigwech /miːɡʷetʃ/ | migwéch /miɡwet͡ʃ/ | Migwech /mɪɡwetʃ/ | ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ /kinanaːskomitin/ | ᐦᐊᕀ ᐦᐊᕀ /haj haj/ | mikwetc /mikwetʃ/ | wāēwāēnen /wɛːwɛːnen/ |
| One | bezhig /beʒiɡ/ | ngot /ŋɡot/ | pejig /peʒɪɡ/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | peikw /pejkʷ/ | nekot /nekot/ |
| Good | mino /mino/ | mno /mno/ | mino /mɪnɔ/ | ᒥᔫ /mijo/ | ᒥᔼᓯᐣ /mijwaːsin/ | miloci /milotʃi/ | menwāewen /menwaːewen/ |
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