tonto

Betekenis (Engels)

Frequentie

A2
Met koppelteken als
ton‧to
Uitgesproken als (IPA)
/ˈtonto/
Etymologie (Engels)

In summary

Uncertain. Latin attonitus has been proposed, but there are phonological difficulties, namely unexpected loss of initial /a/ and lack of diphthongization; cf. the expected outcome atuendo. Tonto may have an expressive or onomatopoeic origin. Another hypothesis is that it derives from *tontum, a 'vulgar' past participle for Latin tondeo (“to shear”). Compare Italian tonto, Portuguese tonto, and Romanian tont, tânt, Sicilian ntontu.

Notes

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