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
31 core words in Ojibwe
Water
nibi
/nibi/
Fire
ishkode
/iʃkode/
Sun
giizis
/ɡiːzis/
Moon
dibik-giizis
/dibik ɡiːzis/
Star
anang
/anaŋ/
Mother
nimaamaa
/nimaːmaː/
Father
indede
/indede/
I
niin
/niːn/
You
giin
/ɡiːn/
Name
izhinikaazowin
/ɪʒɪnɪkaːzowɪn/
Eye
oshkiinzhig
/oʃkiːnʒiɡ/
Hand
ninij
/ninidʒ/
Heart
odeʼ
/odeʔ/
Love
zaagiʼiwewin
/zaːɡiʔiweːwin/
Tree
mitig
/mitiɡ/
House
wiigiwaam
/wiːɡiwaːm/
Dog
animosh
/animoʃ/
Cat
gaazhagens
/ɡaːʒaɡens/
Eat
wiisini
/wiːsini/
Drink
minikwe
/minikwe/
One
bezhig
/beʒiɡ/
Two
niizh
/niːʒ/
Hello
boozhoo
/boːʒoː/
Thank you
miigwech
/miːɡʷetʃ/
Good
mino
/mino/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algic (Algonquian) languages
| Meaning | Ojibwe | Algonquin | Potawatomi | Cree (Plains) | Plains Cree | Atikamekw | Munsee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nibi /nibi/ | nibì /nɪbiː/ | mbish /mbɪʃ/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipij/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipiː/ | nipi /nipi/ | mpíi /mbiː/ |
| Fire | ishkode /iʃkode/ | ishkotè /ɪʃkɔteː/ | shkodé /ʃkode/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | ickoteo /iʃkoteo/ | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ |
| Sun | giizis /ɡiːzis/ | kìzis /kiːzɪs/ | gises /ɡises/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | pisim /pisim/ | kíishux /kiːʃux/ |
| Moon | dibik-giizis /dibik ɡiːzis/ | tibik-kìzis /tɪbɪkkiːzɪs/ | dbëk-gises /dbək‿ɡises/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐍᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐃᐧᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | tipikaw pisim /tipikaw pisim/ | nipáhum /nipahum/ |
| Star | anang /anaŋ/ | anang /aˈnaŋ/ | nuk /nək/ | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ /acaːhkos/ | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ /acaːhkos/ | atcakos /atʃakos/ | alaánkw /alaːŋkʷ/ |
| Mother | nimaamaa /nimaːmaː/ | ningà /nɪŋɡaː/ | nge /ŋɡe/ | ᓂᑲᐎᕀ /nikaːwij/ | ᓂᑳᐃᐧ /nikaːwiː/ | okawi /okawi/ | nkáhees /ŋkaheːs/ |
| Father | indede /indede/ | nòs /nɔːs/ | nos /nos/ | ᓄᐦᑖᐎᕀ /noːhtaːwij/ | ᓅᐦᑖᐃᐧ /noːhtaːwiː/ | ohi /ohi/ | nóoxw /noːxw/ |
| I | niin /niːn/ | niin /niːn/ | nin /nin/ | ᓂᔭ /nija/ | ᓂᔭ /niya/ | nir /niɾ/ | nii /niː/ |
| You | giin /ɡiːn/ | giin /ɡiːn/ | kin /kin/ | ᑭᔭ /kija/ | ᑭᔭ /kiya/ | kir /kiɾ/ | kii /kiː/ |
| Name | izhinikaazowin /ɪʒɪnɪkaːzowɪn/ | wiinzowin /wiːnzowin/ | zhnekaswen /ʒnɛkaswən/ | ᐏᐦᐅᐎᐣ /wiːhowin/ | ᐑᐦᐅᐏᐣ /wiːhowin/ | wirowin /wiɾowin/ | wiinzuwaakan /wiːnzuwaːkan/ |
| Eye | oshkiinzhig /oʃkiːnʒiɡ/ | oshkìnzhig /ɔʃkiːnʒɪɡ/ | shkishek /ʃkɪʃek/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | mickisikw /mitʃkisikʷ/ | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ |
| Hand | ninij /ninidʒ/ | ninj /nɪndʒ/ | nej /netʃ/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /miciciːj/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /micicij/ | kicikon /kitʃikon/ | mléelii /mleːliː/ |
| Heart | odeʼ /odeʔ/ | odè /ɔdeː/ | déh /deː/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | mite /mite/ | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ |
| Love | zaagiʼiwewin /zaːɡiʔiweːwin/ | sàgi'à /saːɡiʔaː/ | zhawéndan /ʒaweːndan/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐏᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐃᐧᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | sakitewin /sakitewin/ | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ |
| Tree | mitig /mitiɡ/ | mitig /mɪtɪɡ/ | mtëg /mtəɡ/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | mihtikw /mihtikw/ | hìttuk /hitːuk/ |
| House | wiigiwaam /wiːɡiwaːm/ | wàkàigan /waːkaːiɡan/ | wigwam /wiɡwam/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | miciwap /mitʃiwap/ | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ |
| Dog | animosh /animoʃ/ | animosh /anɪmɔʃ/ | nemosh /nemoʃ/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | atim /atim/ | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ |
| Cat | gaazhagens /ɡaːʒaɡens/ | — /—/ | gazhag /ɡaʒaɡ/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | minoc /minotʃ/ | póshiis /poʃiːs/ |
| Eat | wiisini /wiːsini/ | wìsini /wiːsɪni/ | wisne /wɪsne/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | mitikwa /mitikwa/ | mit /mit/ |
| Drink | minikwe /minikwe/ | minikwe /mɪnɪkwe/ | mnëkwé /mnəkwe/ | ᒥᓂᐦᐠᐌᐤ /minihkweːw/ | ᒥᓂᐦᑴᐤ /minihkweːw/ | minikwa /minikwa/ | mneew /mneew/ |
| One | bezhig /beʒiɡ/ | pejig /peʒɪɡ/ | ngot /ŋɡot/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | peikw /pejkʷ/ | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ |
| Two | niizh /niːʒ/ | niizh /niːʒ/ | nish /nɪʒ/ | ᓃᓱ /niːso/ | ᓃᓱ /niːso/ | niso /niso/ | niisha /niːʃa/ |
| Hello | boozhoo /boːʒoː/ | Kwe /kwe/ | bozho /boʒo/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | kwei /kwej/ | hé /heː/ |
| Thank you | miigwech /miːɡʷetʃ/ | Migwech /mɪɡwetʃ/ | migwéch /miɡwetʃ/ | ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ /kinanaːskomitin/ | ᐦᐊᕀ ᐦᐊᕀ /haj haj/ | mikwetc /mikwetʃ/ | wanìshi /waniʃi/ |
| Good | mino /mino/ | mino /mɪnɔ/ | mno /mno/ | ᒥᔫ /mijo/ | ᒥᔼᓯᐣ /mijwaːsin/ | miloci /milotʃi/ | weltóok /weltoːk/ |
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