English
Tonto
Tonto comes from Spanish tonto ‘fool, idiot’.
- Spanishc. 1500–presenttonto‘fool, idiot’
- Englishearliest quotation 1982Tonto
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Spanishc. 1500–presenttonto‘fool, idiot’
- Englishearliest quotation 1982Tonto
Earliest quotation: 1982, Iron Eyes Cody with Collin Perry, Iron Eyes: “They called Indians like him — that is, any…”
The story
The fictional character (described as Comanche or Potawatomi) either from Potawatomi [Term?] or named after Tonto Basin, Arizona.
Every English word from Spanish tonto
Today it means
name The Native American sidekick of the Lone Ranger.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Spanish tonto / Tonto