Ke-mo sah-bee
Encyclopedia
Ke-mo sah-bee is the term of endearment
and catchphrase used by the intrepid and ever-faithful fictional Native American
sidekick, Tonto
, in the very successful American radio and television program The Lone Ranger
. (The phrase is sometimes also used by the Lone Ranger himself.)
It is sometimes translated as "trusty scout" or "faithful friend" in Potawatomi
. Its use has become so widespread it was entered into Webster's New Millennium Dictionary
in 2002.
, writer of the original Lone Ranger
radio program, spelled the word "ke-mo sah-bee." However, the spelling kemo sabe (or kemosabe) is by far the most common in popular culture, receiving approximately 180,000 hits
on Google search
in April 2011, as opposed to ke-mo sah-bees 15,800. The word was entered into Webster's New Millennium Dictionary
(edited by Barbara Ann Kipfer
) in 2002 under the spelling "kemosabe."
from 1933 to 1939, took the phrase from Kamp Kee-Mo Sah-Bee, a boys' camp on Mullett Lake
established by Charles W. Yeager (Jewell's father-in-law) in 1911; it is from Jewell that the definition "trusty scout" originates.
The two most accredited origins are as follows:
John Peabody Harrington
's Ethnogeography of the Tewa Indians, published in 1916, defines the Tewa
words kema and Sabe as "friend" and "Apache
", respectively; according to popular belief, a "Dr. Goddard" of the Smithsonian Institution
made the Lone Ranger connection after reading a copy in the annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology
. However, given that the Tewa language
is spoken by Puebloan peoples in New Mexico
, and Kamp Kee-Mo Sah-Bee was in Cheboygan County, Michigan
, this origin seems unlikely.
John D. Nichols' A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe defines the Ojibwe word giimoozaabi as "he peeks" (and, in theory, "he who peeks"), making use of the prefix giimoo(j)-, "secretly"; Rob Malouf, now an associate professor of linguistics at San Diego State University
, suggested that "giimoozaabi" may have also meant scout (i.e., "one who sneaks").
The etymology provided by Webster's New Millennium Dictionary
is, "Has various meanings in Native American languages."
Term of endearment
A term of endearment is a word or phrase used to address and/or describe a person, animal or inanimate object for which the speaker feels love or affection...
and catchphrase used by the intrepid and ever-faithful fictional Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
sidekick, Tonto
Tonto
Tonto may mean:* Tonto, a band of Apache native Americans.* Tonto, the fictional sidekick to the Lone Ranger.* "Tonto", a song by the American math rock band Battles, from their album Mirrored.** "Tonto+", the EP centered around said song....
, in the very successful American radio and television program The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....
. (The phrase is sometimes also used by the Lone Ranger himself.)
It is sometimes translated as "trusty scout" or "faithful friend" in Potawatomi
Potawatomi language
Potawatomi is a Central Algonquian language and is spoken around the Great Lakes in Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as in Kansas in the United States, and in southern Ontario in Canada, 1300 Potawatomi people, all elderly...
. Its use has become so widespread it was entered into Webster's New Millennium Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary refers to the line of dictionaries first developed by Noah Webster in the early 19th century, and also to numerous unrelated dictionaries that added Webster's name just to share his prestige. The term is a genericized trademark in the U.S.A...
in 2002.
Spelling
Fran StrikerFran Striker
Fran Striker was an American writer for radio and comics, best known for creating The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and Sgt...
, writer of the original Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....
radio program, spelled the word "ke-mo sah-bee." However, the spelling kemo sabe (or kemosabe) is by far the most common in popular culture, receiving approximately 180,000 hits
Hit (internet)
A hit is a request to a web server for a file . When a web page is uploaded from a server the number of "hits" or "page hits" is equal to the number of files requested. Therefore, one page load does not always equal one hit because often pages are made up of other images and other files which stack...
on Google search
Google search
Google or Google Web Search is a web search engine owned by Google Inc. Google Search is the most-used search engine on the World Wide Web, receiving several hundred million queries each day through its various services....
in April 2011, as opposed to ke-mo sah-bees 15,800. The word was entered into Webster's New Millennium Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary refers to the line of dictionaries first developed by Noah Webster in the early 19th century, and also to numerous unrelated dictionaries that added Webster's name just to share his prestige. The term is a genericized trademark in the U.S.A...
(edited by Barbara Ann Kipfer
Barbara Ann Kipfer
Barbara Ann Kipfer is a linguist and lexicographer. She has written more than 45 books, including 14,000 Things to be Happy About , which has more than a million copies in print and has given rise to many Page-a-Day calendars. She was the editor of the sixth edition of Roget's International...
) in 2002 under the spelling "kemosabe."
Meaning and origin
Jim Jewell, director of The Lone RangerThe Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....
from 1933 to 1939, took the phrase from Kamp Kee-Mo Sah-Bee, a boys' camp on Mullett Lake
Mullett Lake
Mullett Lake is a lake in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lake is named after John Mullett, who, together with William A. Burt, made a federal survey of the area from 1840 to 1843. A neighboring lake was named after Burt. Historically, Mullett Lake has been recorded as Mullet...
established by Charles W. Yeager (Jewell's father-in-law) in 1911; it is from Jewell that the definition "trusty scout" originates.
The two most accredited origins are as follows:
John Peabody Harrington
John Peabody Harrington
John Peabody Harrington was an American linguist and ethnologist and a specialist in the native peoples of California. Harrington is noted for the massive volume of his documentary output, most of which has remained unpublished: the shelf space in the Library of Congress dedicated to his work...
's Ethnogeography of the Tewa Indians, published in 1916, defines the Tewa
Tewa language
Tewa is a Kiowa–Tanoan language spoken by Pueblo people, mostly in the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico north of Santa Fe. The 1980 census counted 1,298 speakers, almost all of whom are bilingual in English...
words kema and Sabe as "friend" and "Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
", respectively; according to popular belief, a "Dr. Goddard" of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
made the Lone Ranger connection after reading a copy in the annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology
Bureau of American Ethnology
The Bureau of American Ethnology was established in 1879 by an act of Congress for the purpose of transferring archives, records and materials relating to the Indians of North America from the Interior Department to the Smithsonian Institution...
. However, given that the Tewa language
Tewa language
Tewa is a Kiowa–Tanoan language spoken by Pueblo people, mostly in the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico north of Santa Fe. The 1980 census counted 1,298 speakers, almost all of whom are bilingual in English...
is spoken by Puebloan peoples in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, and Kamp Kee-Mo Sah-Bee was in Cheboygan County, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, this origin seems unlikely.
John D. Nichols' A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe defines the Ojibwe word giimoozaabi as "he peeks" (and, in theory, "he who peeks"), making use of the prefix giimoo(j)-, "secretly"; Rob Malouf, now an associate professor of linguistics at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
, suggested that "giimoozaabi" may have also meant scout (i.e., "one who sneaks").
The etymology provided by Webster's New Millennium Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary refers to the line of dictionaries first developed by Noah Webster in the early 19th century, and also to numerous unrelated dictionaries that added Webster's name just to share his prestige. The term is a genericized trademark in the U.S.A...
is, "Has various meanings in Native American languages."