[An-lang] Betta as a Javanese fish name

[Waruno Mahdi]

Dear James,

I can only confirm what Bob wrote about Javanese betah (with schwa in 
the first syllable).
There is a wikipedia entry at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betta
that is, however, somewhat confusing, firstly in that it cites the 
pronunciation as /ˈbɛtə/, which is correct for New Latin "betta", but 
not for the Javanese etymon. Secondly, it cites Malay "ikan betah" as 
etymon, glossed as "persistent fish". But the actual etymon, I presume, 
is indeed Javanese, and "ikan betah" would in Javanese, as well as in 
Malay, mean "enduring fish", "fish that can hold out".

With regard to "ikan wader", a subspecies named "ikan wader betah" does 
not seem to be reported anymore, see:
https://www.tribunnewswiki.com/2019/07/06/ikan-wader

Best,
Waruno

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