His surname, Arikha (English: the Tall), he owed to his height, which exceeded that of his contemporaries. Others, reading Arekha, consider it an honorary title, "Lecturer". In the traditional literature he is referred to almost exclusively as Rav, "the Master", (both his contemporaries and posterity recognizing in him a master), just as his teacher, Judah HaNasi, was known simply as "Rabbi". He is called Rabbi Abba only in the "tannaitic" literature, where a number of his sayings are preserved. He occupies a middle position between the "Tannaim" and the "Amoraim", and is accorded the right, rarely conceded to one who is only an "amora", of disputing the opinion of a "tanna".