going tonto

[Dennis R. Preston]

The idea that persons who use borrowed words have any proficiency in
other tongues is a surprising one to me (ignoring the idea that
native speakers can't speak their own language well).

That derivations are "stupid" also strikes me as odd; "Tonto" (the
Lone Ranger's companion) may have been a racist name, but derivations
from it are hardly stupid (unless we want to note that all
etymologically inaccurate (or even "slang") derivations in the
development of a vocabulary are "stupid"). I think "ignorant of" is
the right term here.

dInIs

>>This is just a translation of Spanish HACER EL TONTO = 'act the fool; act
>>like a clown'
>
>I am doubtful. This would be an elegant derivation: "tonto" = "fool". But
>it gives the originator[s] too much credit, I suspect. It is my casual
>impression that in its usual application the meaning of "hacer el tonto" in
>Spanish is quite distinct from that of English "go nuts"/"go berserk" which
>I think is the intended sense here.
>
>I suspect that "go tonto" refers to Tonto the Indian [taken as stereotype]
>in "The Lone Ranger", with the connection "go on the warpath". A stupid
>derivation of a stupid expression IMHO.
>
>The typical user of expressions such as "majorly", "go tonto" does not
>speak foreign languages ... perhaps can hardly manage his domestic one ....
>
>Incidentally I see "tonto" is etymologically equivalent to
>"stunned"/"astonished" ... where does "stoned" fit in, I wonder ....
>
>-- Doug Wilson

--
Dennis R. Preston
Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Languages
740 Wells Hall A
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1027 USA
Office - (517) 353-0740
Fax - (517) 432-2736