Audio
Nimaamaa
Transcript
nimaamaa, ni-maa-maa, nimaamaa
Description
How to say "my mother" in Ojibwemowin. In Ojibwemowin, our relatives always have a prefix indicating who they belong to. There is no word in Ojibwe for mom. You say either "my mom," "your mom" (gimaamaa), "his or her mom" (omaamaayan), etc. Nimaamaa is a more recent term most likely adopted from English. An older way to say my mother is “ninga.”
Credit
Erik Martin Redix (Miskwaa anang), Ojibwe Language Coordinator, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
Date Created
05/04/2026
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