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)".[1][2]
anishinaa "first, original" + naabe "a male, a male of a species", meaning "first people" or "original people".

Noun

Anishinaabe (ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯ) (plural: Anishinaabeg, ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᒃ)

an Ojibwe
an Indian, a Native, an Aboriginal
- 2014, George Kenny, Gaawiin Mawisiiwag Anishinaabeg: Indians Don't Cry, p.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
a person, a human, a man

Related terms

anishinaabekwe
anishinaabemo
anishinaabemowin
anishinaabewaki
anishinaabewi
anishinaabewibii'igan
anishinaabewiwin

Translations

member of Anishinaabe people

French: anichinabé m, anichinabée f, anichinabés m pl, anichinabées f pl
Ojibwe: anishinaabe, anishinaabeg pl

Ottawa: nishnaabe, nishnaabeg pl
Potawatomi: neshnabé, neshnabék pl

References

Oshkaabewis Native Journal (Vol. 2, No. 1)
http://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/niisin-vta

[1] Oshkaabewis Native Journal (Vol. 2, No. 1)

[2] ttp://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/niisin-vta