At one of our recent get togethers we had a discussion on how to properly (or improperly) pronounce Beta. Some of the answers seemed to depend on which region of the world you originated from. So I figured it would be interesting to throw it out to the TC members. Maybe someone connected to Beta can provide a more official answer.

Edited September 10, 201312 yr by mickl

beeeeeee ta!!!!

as in, they will never beeeeta gasgas

wrong way round the gasgas beeta

At one of our recent get togethers we had a discussion on how to properly (or improperly) pronounce Beta. Some of the answers seemed to depend on which region of the world you originated from. So I figured it would be interesting to throw it out to the TC members. Maybe someone connected to Beta can provide a more official answer.

Yes but beta never invented the word, so it's got nothing to do with them!!

Beater!

I think that we need to recognise that Beta is an Italian company and that therefore Italian, not English, pronunciation rules should prevail. In Italian, 'e' is pronounced similarly to the English 'ay' whereas 'i' is pronounced more like the English 'e'. To me, that means the pronunciation should be Bay-ta. However, I would be interested to hear from a native Italian speaker on this subject, particularly since the name 'Beta' is an 'artificial word' formed from the initials of the two persons who ran the original company at the time when the name Beta was adopted. The name does not appear to have any relationship to the Greek word 'beta'.

Edited September 11, 201312 yr by ken_hosking

I think that we need to recognise that Beta is an Italian company and that therefore Italian, not English, pronunciation rules should prevail. In Italian, 'e' is pronounced similarly to the English 'ay' whereas 'i' is pronounced more like the English 'e'. To me, that means the pronunciation should be Bay-ta. However, I would be interested to hear from a native Italian speaker on this subject, particularly since the name 'Beta' is an 'artificial word' formed from the initials of the two persons who ran the original company at the time when the name Beta was adopted.

because of the initials origin, we should say b.e.t.a

because of the initials origin, we should say b.e.t.a

Whilst there is some logic in feetupfun's suggestion, I think that there is ample evidence that the name Beta was intended to be a name, despite its origin as a set of initials, from the beginning. I don't think that analogies with names like AJS, DKW or BMW are relevant in this case.

It is probably time for a person from Beta, particularly one who speaks Italian and who knows the story intimately, to make a post.

Ha Ha! and I thought it was the 2nd letter of the greek alphabet.... so we needed an ancient greek to tell us how to pronounce it!

BET like in gambling... and then TA like those damn taxes without the "X".... BETA sounds dry. like BETAH

BET like in gambling... and then TA like those damn taxes without the "X".... BETA sounds dry. like BETAH

+1

Whilst there is some logic in feetupfun's suggestion, I think that there is ample evidence that the name Beta was intended to be a name, despite its origin as a set of initials, from the beginning. I don't think that analogies with names like AJS, DKW or BMW are relevant in this case.

It is probably time for a person from Beta, particularly one who speaks Italian and who knows the story intimately, to make a post.

I was only joking and actually voted for BEE-TA, but I love hearing a Canadian friend call his bike BAY-TA

A funny sideline to this Beta thing is the name of the fabulous speedway motors named after James Arthur Prestwich. They were originally referred to as Jap motors, but after the Japanese started selling huge numbers of motorbikes, the James Arthur Prestwich brand was then referred to as J.A.P.

Came across this old clip with Princess Anne talking about rust problems on the Beta!

Well it's not Princess Anne... or the Trials bike, but worth a look. Check out that accent!