Ke-mo sah-bee (; often spelled kemo sabe, kemosabe or kimosabe) is the term used by the fictional Native American sidekick Tonto as the " Native American" name for the Lone Ranger in the American television and radio programs '' The Lone Ranger''. Derived from , an Ojibwe and

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

word that may mean 'he/she looks out in secret', it has been occasionally translated as 'trusty scout' (the first ''Lone Ranger'' TV episode, 1949) or 'faithful friend'.

Meaning and origin

Jim Jewell James Jewell (February 20, 1906 – August 5, 1975) was an American radio actor, producer and director at radio station WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan. Early life Jewell was born in Detroit, Michigan on February 20. 1906. His parents were William ...

, director of ''The Lone Ranger'' from 1933 to 1939, took the phrase from Kamp Kee-Mo Sah-Bee, a boys' camp on Mullett Lake in Michigan, established by Charles W. Yeager (Jewell's father-in-law) in 1916. Yeager himself probably took the term from

Ernest Thompson Seton Ernest Thompson Seton (born Ernest Evan Thompson August 14, 1860 – October 23, 1946) was an English-born Canadian-American author, wildlife artist, founder of the Woodcraft Indians in 1902 (renamed Woodcraft League of America), and one of ...

, one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America, who had given the meaning "scout runner" to ''Kee-mo-sah'-bee'' in his 1912 book ''The Book of Woodcraft and Indian Lore''. Kamp Kee-Mo Sah-Bee was in an area inhabited by the

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, who speak a language that is mutually comprehensible with Ojibwe. John D. Nichols and Earl Nyholm's ''A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe'' defines the Ojibwe word as 'he peeks' (and, in theory, 'he who peeks'), making use of the prefix , 'secretly'; Rob Malouf, now an associate professor of linguistics at San Diego State University, suggested that may indeed have also meant scout (i.e., 'one who sneaks').

In media

Tonto has been represented by the following actors: *

John Todd John Todd or Tod may refer to: Clergy *John Todd (abolitionist) (1818–1894), preacher and 'conductor' on the Underground Railroad * John Todd (author) (1800–1873), American minister and author * John Todd (bishop), Anglican bishop in the early ...

in the 1933 radio show *

Chief Thundercloud Victor Daniels (April 12, 1899 – December 1, 1955), known professionally as Chief Thundercloud, was an American character actor in Westerns. He is noted for being the first actor to play the role of Tonto, the Lone Ranger's Native-American c ...

in the movies from 1938 and forward * Jay Silverheels in the 1950's

TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...

* Michael Horse in the 1981 film The Legend of the Lone Ranger *

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

in the 2013 movie

Other uses

*Featured in the lyrics of "

Apache (Jump on It) "Apache" is a song written by Jerry Lordan and first recorded by Bert Weedon. Lordan played the song on ukulele to the Shadows while on tour, and liking the song, the group released their own version which topped the UK Singles Chart for five wee ...

", a 1981 song by The Sugarhill Gang. *Featured in the lyrics of "If I Had a Boat" by

Lyle Lovett Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957) Lyle Lovett Pageat Allmusic – Lovett's Genre and Styles. Retrieved February 2, 2007 is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Active since 1980, he has recorded 13 albums and relea ...

, from his 1987 album Pontiac. *Featured in the lyrics of "The Lone Ranger", a 1976 UK hit single by

Quantum Jump A quantum jump is the abrupt transition of a quantum system (atom, molecule, atomic nucleus) from one quantum state to another, from one energy level to another. When the system absorbs energy, there is a transition to a higher energy level (exc ...

. *In the TV show '' MacGyver'' (1985–1992), it's a nickname for MacGyver used by his friend Jack Dalton. *The song "

Kemosabe Ke-mo sah-bee (; often spelled kemo sabe, kemosabe or kimosabe) is the term used by the fictional Native American sidekick Tonto as the " Native American" name for the Lone Ranger in the American television and radio programs ''The Lone Ranger''. ...

", a 2013 single by Manchester band Everything Everything from their album, ''

Arc ARC may refer to: Business * Aircraft Radio Corporation, a major avionics manufacturer from the 1920s to the '50s * Airlines Reporting Corporation, an airline-owned company that provides ticket distribution, reporting, and settlement services * ...

''. * Kemosabe Records is an American record label founded by music producer Dr. Luke and is owned by Sony Music Entertainment.

References

{{The Lone Ranger Lone Ranger Catchphrases Quotations from radio Quotations from television 1930s neologisms