The Mystery of Pintar/Punta/P'ntar's name

[ScottyFamalam]

Katakana: プンター
Hepburn: Puntā
Bandai: Punta
Funimation: Pintar
Viz: Punta

His Japanese name プンター (Puntā) can also translate to "P'ntar", which would be pronounced like "Pintar". That may be why Funimation spelled his name as such.

It's possible that his name is an anagram of sorts.

Clues and other stuff we know about the character:
1. He's a fat Arabic-esque dude dressed like a genie.
2. Fat Boo resembles him.
3. He's very agile for a fat guy.
4. He lost in the first round of the finals at the 24th Budokai because he fell out of bounds.
5. Krillin stomped him at the 25th Budokai.
6. He talked a lot of shit for someone who got his ass beat.
7. He was a one-off gag character at the end of the day.

I've already cracked the long-standing puzzle fn Spopovich's name. I will solve this enigma.

 

[ScottyFamalam]

If it's an anagram, my first guess would be the base word is ターンプ (Tānpu). In English, that would be ... Tarmp? Termp? Turmp? Tirmp? Tormp? These aren't English words, though.

Maybe, it's "Taamp"? Or "Taampu"? But those also aren't English words and I'm pretty sure they're not Arabic, either. There's something called "Paqariq Tampu" in Inca mythology, but I don't think Toriyama was thinking about that.

I give up. Most likely Toriyama just made up a word that he thought sounded Arabic without knowing the language at all. P'ntar/P'ntaa/P'nter/P'ntir/P'ntor/P'ntur is probably the proper translation of プンター (Puntā); although I don't think it's an anagram of anything, it seems like too much of a coincidence that Funimation's choice of Pintar is pronounced just like P'ntar, which is a valid way of translating of プンター (Puntā).

Fuck it someone needs to get Derek Padula on this shit.

x.com

x.com

 

[Hector]

Pintar spent a lot of stamina just to show off, and I think that cost him at the 24th Budokai.

 

[ScottyFamalam]

プンター (Puntā) can also be read as Pungtar/taa/ter/tor/tur/tir. I still can't find can't find any potential inspiration for his name based on that, though.

It would be simpler to assume that プンター (Puntā) is a pun on Punta, an Afro-indigenous dance. Punta" is プンタ(Punta) in Japanese. However, this character is supposed to be Arabic, not Afro-whatever, so I doubt that dance is an inspiration. Doubt it could be Punta Cana from the Dominican Republic.

Fuck this shit man. I'm out here analyzing the name of a completely worthless Arabic stereotype character when Toriyama was probably just like "Uhhh what should I call him? uhhhh Puntaa" smh this is a waste of fuckin time

Pintar spent a lot of stamina just to show off, and I think that cost him at the 24th Budokai.

One translation I read said he slipped off the ring because of bad footing but others say he just got knocked out of the ring.

 

[ScottyFamalam]

Well, I was about to give up, but then I stumbled upon this Japanese fansite:

http://www.dbmania.net/db-names.htm

「プンター→地名orタプン（擬音）」
"Puntā ￫ chimei or tapun (gion)"
"Puntā ￫ place name or tapun (onomatopoeia)"

According to this, it was either named after a place (there are quite a few places called Punta in the world like the Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic) or it's an anagram of the Japanese onomatopoeia タプン (tapun), which is used for something full of liquid:
https://ja.hinative.com/questions/23546240

Or something splashing or sloshing:
http://thejadednetwork.com/sfx/comments/2

Like water:
https://pixta.jp/audio/89981626

Or something jiggling:
https://gist.github.com/UserUnknownFactor/093a2296c5a4d9ef7b404728ebde94a3

In hiragana, it's たぷん (tapun):
https://mainichi-nonbiri.com/onomatopoeia/taputapu/

Sometimes, it's spelled as タプーン/たぷーん (tapūn). The ー elongates the プ (pu).

In manga, タプン (tapun) seems to mainly be used for boobs and flab jiggling, bouncing, swaying, being squeezed, or pressing against something. It's also used for the sound a person's stomach makes when they're eating or drinking something. And when they're full after a meal or a drink. It also refers to just being fat in general, particularly having a flabby belly:
https://ameblo.jp/chi-chanyo777/entry-12833076591.html

A louder, faster variation is ドタプン/ どたぷん (dotapun), or ドタプーン/ どたぷーん (dotapūn), although it seems to mainly refer to gigantic female boobs.

Since I doubt it was inspired by any place called "Punta", I'm gonna conclude that it's a pun of the "tapun" onomatopoeia. I guess it's a reference to the character being a fatass, how his body jiggles when he moves?

Also, note that Japanese onomatopeia is often said twice or multiple times at once (doki doki, muchi muchi, puri puri, dokkan dokkan, etc), too. You can see "Punta" in タプンタプン (tapuntapun).

So, yeah, I can buy that the character's name is a pun of タプン/たぷん (tapun) or タプーン/たぷーん (tapūn); it basically means "jiggle" and "fat". Although that "DB Mania" fansite was just making guesses, I'd say they were pretty much right on the money. I don't think it's any coincidence at all that a fat character in a Japanese series was given a name that's similar to Japanese onomatopeia for fat people. If there was any meaning behind his name at all, it was probably this.

Oh, there's also the onomatopeia プンタタ (puntata), which is used for music:
http://thejadednetwork.com/sfx/browse/puntata/

Perhaps the character's name is a pun on that and his quick movement could be compared to music beats? Or how quickly Krillin beat his ass? Or perhaps all his flab bouncing around would sound like music? Probably a reach lol

tl;dr his name is a pun on him being a fat fuck

 

[Warmmedown]

Noice.
For what it's worth, there's no P in Arabic.

 

[ScottyFamalam]

Not even Herms could solve this shit.

 

[SSJ2]

@ScottyFamalam could solve this shit.

 

[ScottyFamalam]

thanks fam

 

[Boo Brand Milk]

Pintar after going "further beyond"

 

[ScottyFamalam]

What a worthless shitty character lol