View Message

[Facts] Tarzan
I was reading a CNN article about the train crash in Montenegro and read this part:"It's a disaster for Montenegro and for Bijelo Polje," said mayor Tarzan Milosevic."I am always careful to never make fun of anyone's name, but Tarzan Milosevic is very unfortunate... Anyway, I searched on behindthename and didnt find an entry for Tarzan. Does anyone have an information?
vote up1vote down

Replies

Monkey business!Edgar Rice Burroughs explains in "Jungle Tales of Tarzan" the fictitious etymology of Tarzan, and I quote:"Tarzan is derived from the two ape words TAR and ZAN, meaning white skin. It was given him by his foster mother, Kala, the great she-ape."So Tarzan Milosevis is not only unfortunate -- it is hilarious :)
vote up1vote down
Wonderful! And thank you.
vote up1vote down
Kala the she-ape, eh? Well I never. One wonders where her name came from; pleasant to think that her parents, dark fur invisible in the African night, might have eavesdropped on western explorers and learnt a few European words ... but which words, from what language? What could they use to name their great she-ape baby? Dark fur, pronunciation problems ... perhaps she could be an ape of cala? Or did they have difficulty distinguishing an R from an L, and is our hero's swarthy foster-mum actually a version of Kara?
vote up1vote down
..."Talzan vs Gozirra"???
vote up1vote down