opin
/opʰɪn/animate
Potato in Ojibwe is opin. Wiktionary also lists pin.
Meaning: plant tuber eaten as starchy vegetable (noun)
Ways to say it
| Ojibwe | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| opin | /opʰɪn/ | animate |
| pin | animate |
The word refers to the plant tuber eaten as a starchy vegetable.
Which one should you use?
opin and pin are both forms of the word for potato.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word for potato is grammatically animate in Ojibwe.
How do you pronounce it?
/opʰɪn/
Did you know?
- The classification of opin as animate reflects a broader Ojibwe worldview where many plants and natural elements possess spiritual agency.
- While opin refers to the potato, many Ojibwe speakers also use loanwords from French or English due to the history of trade in the Great Lakes region.
- The word opin is inherited from the Proto-Algonquian root *wexpenya.
Examples in context
- Gichi-opin.A large potato.
Example conversation
Nibi and Makwa are preparing a meal together.
- NibiMakwa, opin gaa-wiidookaan?Makwa, where are the potatoes?
- MakwaOpin gaa-wiidookaan awaa.The potatoes are over there.
- NibiGichi-opin waabi-nindizhoong.I see a big potato in the house.
- MakwaMino-opin gaa-izhi-miijigowin.It is a good potato to eat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “potato” translations and entries opin, pin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries opin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
