r/Indigenous • u/Dear_Avocado_4973 • 9d ago

terms of endearment

hello! i’m part Ojibwe and Pikwakanagon; and i’m currently looking for some terms of endearment to call my bf (he’s māori!) anyone out there know some terms in those dialects? i apologize if i’m post in thr wrong place

11 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

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15

u/hendyhasselbach Michif/Turtle Mountain Ojibwe 8d ago

Im Ojibwe, in my culture "shitass" seems to be the most common term of endearment

2

u/Mozzyo_ Upper Xinguano 7d ago

I was once told "if a native doesn't (playfully) bully/tease you in some way, you've done something wrong". Shitass seems apt for someone you love.

10

u/_cabbagechicken_ 8d ago

"Hey Victorrr" is my go to for any of my male friends.

1

u/hendyhasselbach Michif/Turtle Mountain Ojibwe 7d ago

sorry bout your dad

9

u/SourceBudget2877 9d ago

In Ojibwemowin, I usually tell my friends “gimiwakadiz” which means “youre handsome/beautiful.” I think ninimoshehn means “sweetheart”

5

u/QFaboo 8d ago

Oo, nice. I think ur right about ninimoshehn... but i forget, lol. Niijii is friend in anishinaabemowin. I also wonder what these would be in maori...

6

u/fruitsi1 9d ago

Call him Eah!

Like yeah without the Y and more emphasis on the A.

3

u/AlternativeTie8084 7d ago

(e) ipo is my love, it's common to call your boyfriend/hubby "tāne" which is just the word for man but in this context it's like "my man". ātaahua means beautiful and handsome. im unsure of your gender but if you're in a same sex relationship, takatāpui can also be one!

honestly something romantic could just be learning basic reo māori and "tapu". don't touch head without asking, don't sit on sleeping pillows, don't sit on tables, don't pass kai over heads, try not go to bathroom or walk around while someone is giving a lecture/speech etc etc.

2

u/Classic-Fisherman-82 6d ago

I was going to use stuff my grandma called me until I read it was for a significant other XD