gekek
The Ojibwe word for hawk is gekek.
gekek refers to a predatory bird belonging to the Accipitridae family.
Meaning: predatory bird of Accipitridae (noun)
Did you know?
- The name gekek is an example of onomatopoeia, where the word itself mimics the sharp, repetitive vocalizations of the bird.
- In many Ojibwe dialects, the distinction between a 'hawk' and a 'falcon' is not based on physical appearance, but on whether the bird hunts by soaring or by rapid, direct strikes.
- In Ojibwe, the word gekek is grammatically 'animate', meaning it is treated as a living being with a spirit rather than an object.
Example sentences for Ojibwe are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Zhaawan and Winona are walking in the woods.
- ZhaawanWinona, giin gegek waabamaa?Winona, do you see a hawk?
- WinonaEyaam, gekek nindigoon!Yes, I see a hawk!
- ZhaawanAaniishii gaa-wiidookoodiyaa.Look at how it flies.
- WinonaGichi-biindigan anoomii gekek.The hawk flies very high.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hawk” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
