Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kemosabe

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.61 in modern English

Syllables: ke-mosabe
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An appellation given to a wise, trustworthy friend.

Colloquial

Example Sentences

"Wanna get a beer? / Nah. / Come on. Let's get a beer. / Okay, leave me alone, leave me alone. / Don't stay up too late, kemosabe."

Etymology

Coined for the 1938 Lone Ranger television serial. Further etymology uncertain: *Some trace the word through the Kee-Mo Sah-Bee summer camp in Michigan to Ojibwe giimoozaabi (“he spies”). See more at Wikipedia. *Alternatively, from a corruption of Spanish quien lo sabe "(he) who knows".

Usage

Colloquial

Inflected Forms

kemosabi (alternative) kemo sabe (alternative) ke-mo sah-bee (alternative)

Questions

What does kemosabe mean?: An appellation given to a wise, trustworthy friend.
Where does kemosabe come from?: Coined for the 1938 Lone Ranger television serial. Further etymology uncertain: *Some trace the word through the Kee-Mo Sah-Bee summer camp in Michigan to Ojibwe giimoozaabi (“he spies”). See more at Wikipedia. *Alternatively, from a corruption of Spanish quien lo sabe "(he) who knows".

How to pronounce kemosabe

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