anishinaabe

See also: Anishinaabe

Ojibwe

Alternative forms

• Anishinaabe
• Nishnaabe
• Nishnawbe

Etymology

There are many differing interpretations of Anishinaabe, but it is widely accepted that "-naabe", means "a male, a male of a species", or more generally "a person" . Anishinaabe is a cognate to the Oji-cree autonym "Anishinini" ("inini" meaning man in both Oji-cree and Ojibwe) Some suggested meanings of Anishinaabe:

• an(i)- "away" + niisin "lower somebody" + naabe "a male, a male of a species", meaning "man who was lowered (from the sky)".
• anishinaa "first, original" + naabe "a male, a male of a species", meaning "first people" or "original people".

Noun

anishinaabe anim (Canadian syllabics spelling ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯ, plural anishinaabeg, diminutive anishinaabens)

1. an Anishinaabe (an Ojibwe, Nipissing, Algonquin, Potawatomi, or Odawa)
   1. (specifically) an Ojibwe

      Synonym: ojibwe

2. an Indian, a Native (especially one of North America, in contrast to a non-Native)

   Besho omaa daawag igi anishinaabeg.

   The Natives live close by.

   • 2014, George Kenny, Gaawiin Mawisiiwag Anishinaabeg: Indians Don't Cry, page 7:

     Gaawiin iindog mawisiiwag anishinaabeg. Gaawiin debwe iwe, inendam Frank Littledeer e-mamawid.

     Indians don't cry. That's bullshit, Frank Littledeer cursed as tears streamed down his broad, weather-scarred face.

3. a person, a human (in contrast to a non-human being)

Hyponyms

• boodewaadamii (“a Potawatomi”)
• nakawe (“a Saulteaux/Eastern Ojibwe”)
• odaawaa (“an Odawa”)
• odishkwaagamii (“an Algonquin”)
• ojibwe (“an Ojibwe”)

Derived terms

• anishinaabekwe
• anishinaabemo
  • anishinaabemowin
• anishinaabewaki
• anishinaabewi
• anishinaabewibii'igan
• anishinaabewiwin

Descendants

• → English: Anishinaabe

References

• The Ojibwe People's Dictionary https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/anishinaabe-na