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Obaashiing language table review

Updated: Nov 21, 2019

During the last language table we went over some words that could be used in praying or offering tobacco. One thing to remember is there are many words for or related to "praying" in Ojibwemowin. For example, when someone prays in a Christian manner its called "anami'e", but when someone offers tobacco in a traditional manner you use different words, such as the following vai's (action verbs s/he is doing it.):

Biindaakoojige- s/he makes a tobacco offering.

asemaake- s/he makes a tobacco offering


These words change in the command form when you tell someone to do the verb.

for example, Biindaakoozh! Offer tobbaco to him or her or Asemaakaazh!

Notice the zh on the end of the word. This is a specific type of verb type in Ojibwe or relative root and has its own way of conjugating in sentence form.

so if you were to say: "I'm making a tobacco offering to the spirits" you could say:

"Manidoog imbiindaakoonaag."

This is an A form sentence which means its a complete sentence. Notice how the zh on the end of the root word changed to an N... ZH= N


more examples:

Miizh- Give it to him or her. Asemaa ningii-miinaa ji-gaagiigidod. I gave him/her tobacco

to talk.

Notice how the zh doesn't change when its action on niin.

Gi miizh- You give it to me.

Miizhishin- Give it to me! When you see or hear ishin it is a command. Ive noticed that a lot of times ishin is often put on the ends of words by second language learners at the wrong times. One example...Miigwech miizhishin. This construction does not make sense and is not grammatically correct.

Miigwech miizhiyan. Thank you for giving it to me. * -iyan ( You to me)


Gid asemaakaazh- you give me tobacco.

But the zh does change on 1st to 3rd and so forth I on him, him/her to them, him to me etc.

Ogii-asemaakaanaan. He tobaccoed him.

Indasemaakaanaa- I tobacco him.

Biizh - Bring him/her Ni biinaa. I bring him/her Gi biinaa. You bring him or her.












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