Virgin's bower is a gorgeous flowering vine that can be referred to as biimaakwad in ojibwemowin, which simply means vine. Actually the root biim- describes the action of twisting, as vines twist around trees and other supports, so you'll find that root in words related to moving in a spiral motion and even in the words for vine-like objects such as rope or string. Ojibwemowin is a verb-based language, so nouns are often derived from verbs - what does the thing do? You can see this and other vines by checking out #biimaakwad on Instagram.

This plant is most striking in winter, when it's gone to seed, and in this episode I ramble about seeds, promises, and the new year. Tell me about the seeds you're starting this winter, literally and/or metaphorically, by recording a voice message at anchor.fm/marisa-lee

Check out more ojibwemowin (including audio) at the Ojibwe People's Dictionary.

The intro/outro music in this episode is royalty-free music called "In the Forest" shared on Pixabay by username Lesfm.