Ways to say it
| Ojibwe | Note |
|---|---|
| ozhaawashkwaa | inanimate, verb |
| ozhaawashko- | |
| ozhaawashkozi | animate, verb |
The term refers to the color blue.
What does it mean word for word?
The form ozhaawashko- acts as a prefix or combining form used to create various compound words related to the color blue.
Which one should you use?
The forms change based on whether the object being described is animate or inanimate. Use ozhaawashkozi for animate objects and ozhaawashkwaa for inanimate objects. The form ozhaawashko- is used as a prefix for compounds.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Ojibwe, you must choose the form of the word based on the nature of the subject. Use ozhaawashkozi when describing an animate object, such as a person or a bird, as being blue. Use ozhaawashkwaa when describing an inanimate object, such as a car or a stone, as being blue.
Did you know?
- The word for 'blue' is built from the components for 'green' and 'white'.
- Because the distinction between ozhaawashkozi and ozhaawashkwaa is based on animacy, some objects that seem inanimate to English speakers are treated as animate in Ojibwe.
- In Ojibwe, the concept of animacy determines the word for 'blue', meaning the language classifies the world into living and non-living categories rather than just masculine and feminine.
Example sentences for Ojibwe are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Winona and Migizi are looking at a piece of clothing.
- WinonaMigizi, ozhaawashkwaa aa'o maaskaadizi?Migizi, is this cloth blue?
- MigiziEe, ozhaawashkwaa.Yes, it is blue.
- WinonaNimino-izhi-giizhigookwayang.It looks like the sky.
- MigiziEe, nindaan gichi-ozhaawashkwaa.Yes, it is very blue.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blue” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
