Dictionary of the Ojibway Language (Borealis Books) [Paperback]

Frederic Baraga (Author)

Book Description

Series: Borealis Books | Publication Date: November 15, 1992

The language of the Ojibway people was recorded by Frederic Baraga (1797-1868), a missionary priest from Slovenia, who was sent in 1835 by the Catholic church to serve among the Ojibway living in the Lake Superior region. The multilingual Baraga quickly learned the Ojibway language and over many years worked within the community to produce a dictionary, a grammar and religious literature. In 1853 the first edition of A Dictionary of Otchipwe Language Explained in English was published. A revised edition of this Ojibway-English/English-Ojibway dictionary followed in 1878 and is the version now reprinted. More than a hundred years later, this dictionary remains a classic and the most useful for a wide range of dialects. It is an important cultural and linguistic source for historians, anthropologists, linguists, ethnologists, and all students interested in the Ojibway language.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English

About the Author

Frederic Baraga

Product Details

• Paperback: 442 pages
• Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press (November 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873512812
• ISBN-13: 978-0873512817
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,153,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #80 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Native American

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars historical value, June 22, 2003

By 

"linguist-guy" (boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dictionary of the Ojibway Language (Borealis Books) (Paperback)

when I look closely it becomes pretty obvious that long vowels are marked sporadically, and I doubt its a matter of replacing every circumflex with a double letter, some long ones are not marked at all; I also suppose the language could have changed (that's what people say about Petitiot, a different language, but it's the same); this book has certain historical value, regarding the language, linguistics, but I wouldn't use it to learn the language, it would just give me a terrible accent, go for Nyholm and Nichols

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive (2 aught 7), April 1, 2005

By 

A Pohick (near Crystal City) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Dictionary of the Ojibway Language (Borealis Books) (Paperback)

In addition to words for basic conversational speech, Father Baraga's dictionary contains translations of household items, tools, implements and transactions as various as coffee, lamp, augur, pulley, bill of divorce, lover and trading license. Although Baraga authored his work prior to the American Civil War, his method of spelling the Ojibwe words utilizes familiar letters and accent markings which a standard keyboard reproduces; however, with an acceptably moderate amount of effort, one can make the slight alterations to Baraga's spelling in order to accommodate usage of the double-vowel system that one sees in modern literature or in personal use on the internet. Within a new forward to the dictionary, Professor John D. Nichols highlights the differences between the two orthographies. The greatest strength of this dictionary lies within the extent and diversity of its vocabulary.

For building phrases with these words, a search on the web for Rick Gresczyk (Minnesota), Kenny Pheasant (Manitoulin and Michigan) and Weshki-ayaad (Animaakiing) leads to resources to get started using Nishnaabemwin.

2007: Dogged ears support the review--vocabulary-wise, still the best bang for the buck. R. Rhodes, ISBN 3110137496 and 978-3110102031 try to give SnowShoe's work a run for its money (Rhodes: P-Town, Manitoulin Dialect, 70's 80-ish).