Talk:Tonto

In this entry, Tonto's etymology is described as: 'From Spanish tonto (“fool, idiot”), the Spanish name for the tribe, a calque of Western Apache kounʼnde (“wild rough people”). The fictional character (described as Comanche or Potawatomi) either from Potawatomi or named after Tonto Basin, Arizona.'

- These grammatically monstrous sentences (or sentence fragments) make absolutely no sense. 1) If Tonto's etymology is the Spanish word for fool or idiot, how is it also a direct & literal translation of an Apache word meaning "wild rough people"??? This suggests its etymology is derived from words with 2 entirely different meanings from 2 entirely disparate languages. 2) 'The fictional character (described as Comanche or Potawatomi)...' is a definition, not an etymology. Better: 'As the name of the fictional character from the Lone Ranger (described as Comanche or Potawatomi), it derives from either Potawatomi [Potawatomi what???] or from Tonto Basin, Arizona.'

Also, why use an obscure word that everyone is going to have to look up instead of just saying 'a direct & literal translation' or something similar??? Niccast (talk) 06:13, 25 July 2024 (UTC)

The following information passed a request for deletion.

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Tonto

Defined solely as "Sidekick of the Lone Ranger". I didn't think we included entries like this? Thryduulf (talk) 16:49, 20 July 2010 (UTC)

I have reworked the entry and converted the rfd to an RfD sense. As a demonym it would stay, I think. I have added a probably attestable but debatable common noun sense: "sidekick". I am not sure that this really warrants inclusion, but it seems to me to warrant consideration for inclusion. Please tag it if you think it debatable. DCDuring TALK 17:36, 20 July 2010 (UTC)

I've not tagged it as such, but the noun sense certainly merits verification. An admittedly quick look on bgc turned up a couple of mentions and no uses. Thryduulf (talk) 00:41, 21 July 2010 (UTC)

I found another sense. Take a look at the cites for both common noun senses. DCDuring TALK 01:48, 21 July 2010 (UTC)

Yes those all look good. Although you have what looks to be a typo in the final quote for the sidekick sense (s/nor/not/), but without a url to the book it's not immidately easily checkable. Thryduulf (talk) 11:04, 21 July 2010 (UTC)

Given its figurative uses, I would also keep the marked definition as the at least once clearly well-understood origin. DAVilla 06:34, 25 July 2010 (UTC)

But our current practice is simply to put the origin information in etymology, with a WP link, to provide the basic cultural information that people need to understand the connotations that come with the use of the proper noun. DCDuring TALK 14:54, 25 July 2010 (UTC)

kept, no consensus for deletion -- Liliana • 00:57, 23 July 2011 (UTC)