Evolution Posted August 11, 2010 Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 Can anyone tell me what the word means? Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted August 11, 2010 Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 The scientific meaning is "fish that I spend a lot of time and money on, that don't want to breed for me". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cgy_Betta_Guy Posted August 11, 2010 Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 my fish is mo' betta than your fish... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evolution Posted August 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 You two betta smartin' up and give me what I need here, please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobies et al Posted August 11, 2010 Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 Checking the history of the Betta... " Why "Betta" ? It is believed that there was a warrior-like tribe of people called "Bettah". So I guess in a way Betta Splendens could be translated into : Splendid (beautiful) warrior. You have to admit the name is perfect . " From: http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_history.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted August 11, 2010 Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 You two betta smartin' up and give me what I need here, please! Or what?? You going to flare at me and build me a bubblenest.. That's international betta congress humour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kronosdelsol Posted August 11, 2010 Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 Only if you had the splenden white dot underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanGofCalgary Posted August 11, 2010 Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 (edited) my fish is mo' betta than your fish... bah! I was gonna say that! Hmm. I wonder why people call the (scientific name) Betta splendens a Betta? Why would someone do that. thinking. thinking.... I got nothing. But If I think of something, will let you know. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_fighting_fish specifically note this sentence: The name of the genus is derived from ikan bettah, taken from a local dialect of Thailand (Siam).[1 Edited August 11, 2010 by DanGofCalgary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evolution Posted August 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2010 Hmm. I wonder why people call the (scientific name) Betta splendens a Betta? Why would someone do that. thinking. thinking.... I got nothing. But If I think of something, will let you know. What? http://en.wikipedia....e_fighting_fish specifically note this sentence: The name of the genus is derived from ikan bettah, taken from a local dialect of Thailand (Siam).[1 Read that and I don't trust the author or their sources. Read everything in that link and you'll see what I mean, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evolution Posted August 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2010 (edited) Checking the history of the Betta... " Why "Betta" ? It is believed that there was a warrior-like tribe of people called "Bettah". So I guess in a way Betta Splendens could be translated into : Splendid (beautiful) warrior. You have to admit the name is perfect . " From: http://www.bettatalk...tta_history.htm Hmm. I wonder why people call the (scientific name) Betta splendens a Betta? Why would someone do that. thinking. thinking.... I got nothing. But If I think of something, will let you know. http://en.wikipedia....e_fighting_fish specifically note this sentence: The name of the genus is derived from ikan bettah, taken from a local dialect of Thailand (Siam).[1 Searching, I've yet to find the answer I'm looking for. I think I am going to have to find a book of nomencature that describes the etymology of the word, Betta. However, as much as I don't want to, I do believe I have debunked the two meanings of the word given above- warrior and a dialect word of Thailand. The dialect word ikan bettah seemed like a possiblity to me when I first read it, but it wasn't what I wanted to hear. Aswell, I remember reading a few years ago about the warrior tribe called the bettah meaning and I wanted this to be true as the idea of a "splendid warrior" is very romantic. Unfortunately, today I've descovered that both these descriptions are unlikey to be true and here is how I came to that conclusion. First thing I did was crack my trusty Baensch Atlas Vol 1 and flipped to page 632. Betta splendens (Regan, 1910) Siamese Fighting Fish Hab.: Thailand; Cambodia; possibly Laos. Soc. Behaviour: Males cannot be kept together. They will attack and tear each other's fins. Just this information alone would lead us to believe that both descriptions of the word Betta could be correct, but the problem with those meaning lies with the author of the name Betta splendens. Regan described the fish in 1910! http://www.fishbase....sname=splendens So, what does that have to do with anything? Lots! Regan was not the first to allocate the word Betta as a genus. The origional author to use Betta to describe a genus was french zoologist, Achilles Valenciennes and he used it in 1846 to describe Betta picta; synonym Betta trifaciata from Java. http://www.repositor...document/149052 Would not this fish then be called the Javanese Fighting Fish? No, and for two reasons. Betta is likely not derived from an Asian dialect or word, which is almost obvious now. Infact, the word Siamese is an English word and only used in Canada, the US and the UK when refering to Betta splendens as a common name. http://www.fishbase....&StockCode=4992 Interestingly enough, it appears to first be introduced into Alberta in 1971. http://www.fishbase.org/Introductions/IntroductionsList.cfm?ID=4768&GenusName=Betta&SpeciesName=splendens&fc=429&StockCode=4992 Nor is the word Betta derived from the name of a tribal warrior people, which I'll attempt to explain why. Betta picta, the first Betta ever described (1846) http://www.fishbase....eciesname=picta turns out to be very different in disposition to Betta splendens. I found this out by cracking my trusty Baensch Atlas Vol. 2 and on page 798. Betta picta (Valenciennes, 1846) Painted Betta Hab. Indonesia; the islands of Java. Soc. Behaviour: Peaceful species which can be kept in a well planted community tank. Now if that is the social behaviour of the first ever descibed Betta species then I have a hard time believing that Betta means warrior. Edited August 12, 2010 by Evolution Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaVishVish Posted August 12, 2010 Report Share Posted August 12, 2010 I don't think this will answer your question but ..I know in Java, Indonesia, if you say Betta as to refer betta fish, most people won't know. But if you say "Ikan Cupang"..they know what you mean. They said they call betta as Ikan cupang because its mouth likes ready to kiss till ...(ok..I’ll stop here ) and when the fish fight, the fish will push and bite each other. In Indonesian, Ikan means fish, and cupang means kiss..more like, kissing as hickey or biting. The other story..in Indonesia, if you say Ikan Betta..(written as Ikan Beta) it can mean as an expression, to express your ownership to the fish. The word beta itself is only used in a certain tribe in Indonesia. Nowdays people don't use the word beta anymore. Even if they use it, it's used for fun ..it doesn't have the same meaning as in the old days. The word beta was used to emphasize your love, respect or ownership to something or someone. So in the old days if someone said ikan beta, that means the person has so much love to the fish, very proud to the fish. The word itself is like a mantra. Don’t even dare to mess up with this fish. Now..is there any correlation or just coincidence between the used of word beta to the betta fish as fighting fish..I don’t know . All I know..I love my betta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evolution Posted August 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2010 (edited) Meaning http://www.nd.edu/~archives/latin.htm betta bene : well (melior : better / optime : best ) bonus : good (melior : better / optimus : best ). Pronounced http://www.merriam-w...?betta001=betta Edited August 13, 2010 by Evolution Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 Haha, I always wanted to know what it meant! xD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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