# rainbow



## Abu Bishr

Hi all

I'm interested in knowing how "rainbow" is said in your language and what exactly it means in your language. I've noticed that in some languages it is a bow that is attributed to rain and in other languages it is a bow that is attributed to some being (whether a god/goddess, evil spirit, angel, etc.). I was wondering if there are other meanings besides the two that I've mentioned.

*Afrikaans*: reënboog (this is the same as rainbow)

*Spanish*: arco iris ("iris" or "Iris" here is apparently the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow)

*Arabic*: قَوْس قُزَحَ ("qaws quzah" where "qaws" means 'bow' and "quzah" an evil spirit or angel or non-Arab king or name of mountain in Arabia, etc.; there does not seem to be any consensus on what exactly "quzah" means; there is yet another view that states that قُزَح or quzah is a mistake and should have been قَزَع or qaza' meaning 'clouds' so that it would mean something like 'cloudbow')


----------



## ukuca

In Turkish: *gökkuşağı*. it's acompound word where
*gök* = the sky and *kuşak* = is some kind of a belt made of cloth.


----------



## mimi2

Vietnamese
rainbow = cầu vòng
As far as I know, there is no other meaning.


----------



## Drechuin

*French*: _un arc-en-ciel_ (an bow-in-the-sky)


----------



## Joannes

Nice thread. 

Dutch: *regenboog* (literally 'rainbow')


----------



## brian

*Latin*: _pluvius arcus _(rainy arch/bow)
[also possible, _caelestis arcus_ (sky arch/bow)]

*Ancient Greek*: _îris_ (sorry, I can't type Greek characters on this computer!)

More than just a "goddess of the rainbow," Iris was in fact the rainbow itself, or rather the personification of the rainbow, hence her name in Greek meaning "rainbown." She was also a messenger of the gods.

*Italian*: _arcobaleno_ ("arco"="arch";"baleno"="flash, lightning")


----------



## Qcumber

*RAINBOW*

*ABU BISHR wrote:*
*Arabic*: قَوْس قُزَحَ ("qaws quzah" where "qaws" means 'bow' and "quzah" an evil spirit or angel or non-Arab king or name of mountain in Arabia, etc.; there does not seem to be any consensus on what exactly "quzah" means; there is yet another view that states that قُزَح or quzah is a mistake and should have been قَزَع or qaza' meaning 'clouds' so that it would mean something like 'cloudbow')

UKUCA wrote:
*Turkish:* “In Turkish: *gökkuşağı*. it's acompound word where
*gök* = the sky and *kuşak* = is some kind of a belt made of cloth.”

Perhaps Arabic calqued the expression from Turkish, and used the second Turkish term without understanding it. 

Wasn’t the bow introduced among Arabs by Mongols, Persians, or Turks?


----------



## DrWatson

Finnish:
*sateenkaari *(literal meaning is the same as in English, rain's bow or rain's arc)

Swedish:
*regnbåge *(same as in English)

German:
*(der) Regenbogen *(same as in English)


----------



## Whodunit

*Czech*: duha (no compund; maybe someone can tell us something about its etymology, except that it may be derived from the word _duha_ meaning "iris" and "stave")

*Japanese*: 虹 (ni-ji) (again, I don't know much about its etymology, but it of Chinese origin meaning the same)



mimi2 said:


> Vietnamese
> rainbow = cầu vòng
> As far as I know, there is no other meaning.



Can you explain what _cầu_ and _vòng_ mean separately?


----------



## dn88

*Polish:

*_tęcza_

There's also a word "tęczówka" derived from "tęcza", the meaning of which is "iris" (the membrane of the eye)


----------



## deine

Lithuanian:

Vaivorykštė (means "Vaivos rykštė/juosta" - the ribbon of goddess of the rain who name is Vaiva)


----------



## Outsider

Abu Bishr said:


> *Spanish*: arco iris ("iris" or "Iris" here is apparently the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow)


And the same in Portuguese: _arco-íris_.


----------



## Qcumber

MALAY
Chin. gÇng [koŋ¬] “arc > Mal. kúwung ª½§ “arc” > Mal. kúwung palángi
كوڠ ڨلاڠى “multi-coloured arc > rainbow” > palángi “rainbow". Palángi "motley" is borrowed from Persian.

TAGALOG (Philippines)
bahág-hárì [ba 'hag 'ha: ri?] "rainbow < loincloth-(of)-king / sun".

CHINESE
Căihóng 彩虹 "rainbow < colourful + snake".

FRENCH
(un) arc-en-ciel "rainbow < arc + in + sky".


----------



## parakseno

The Romanian word for "rainbow" is "curcubeu" (neuter noun). It's rather a strange-sounding word in Romanian. There is no general agreement on its origin. (The dictionary I have writes "origin unknown", while others give totally different etymologies.)


----------



## werrr

Whodunit said:


> *Czech*: duha (no compound; maybe someone can tell us something about its etymology, except that it may be derived from the word _duha_ meaning "iris" and "stave")


Yes, the original meaning of “duha” is “stave” or “curve(d) piece”. But this meaning is obsolete nowadays. It is only used as a technical term for the “stave of a barrel”.

Some cognate words: dužina/dužnina = pulp; dýha =  veneer; duhovka = eye iris; duhový = rainbowlike/rainbow-tinted/opalescent.


----------



## Nizo

In Esperanto:  _ĉielarko_ ("sky bow _or_ sky arch").


----------



## Nizo

Here is the word _rainbow_ in some other languages, just in case no native speakers come into this forum:

Bosnian:        duga
Bulgarian:      дъга
Catalan:        arc de Sant Martí, arc d’iris, arc del cel
Danish:         regnbue
Estonian:       vikerkaar
Greek:           *ουράνιο τόξο*
*Farsi:*رنگین کمان
Hebrew קשת בענן
Croatian:       duga
Scots Gaelic:  bogha-frois

*Tamil:*வானவில்

Love Tamil writing, but no idea how that's pronounced!


----------



## Whodunit

Let me ty to help with the etymology and pronunciation:



Nizo said:


> Bosnian: duga (same as in Czech)
> Bulgarian: дъга (same as in Czech)
> Catalan: arc de Sant Martí; arc d’iris, arc del cel (I'm not sure who _Sant Martí_ was; maybe some Catalan speaker could help here; as for _arc d'iris_, see here; _arc del cel_ means _arc of the sky_)
> Danish: regnbue (rain-bow)
> Estonian: vikerkaar (_kaar_ means _bow_ or _arc_, but I'm not sure about _viker_)
> Greek: *ουράνιο τόξο* (uránio tókso: _uranium arc_)
> Farsi: رنگین کمان (attempt: _rangeen kamaan_ meaning _colored arc_)
> Hebrew  קשת בענן (attempt: _keshet be'ananin_ meaning _arc in sky_)
> Croatian: duga (see Czech)
> Scots Gaelic: bogha-frois (_shower arc_?)
> Tamil:வானவில் (_vaanavil _meaning sky bow; _வான் _[vaan] is anything that has to do with the firmament)
> 
> Love Tamil writing, but no idea how that's pronounced!



Thanks for the little exercise.  However, I'd appreciate any corrections, if I have made mistakes.


----------



## Maja

In Serbian: duga / дуга.


----------



## brian

Whodunit said:


> Let me ty to help with the etymology and pronunciation:
> 
> Greek: *ουράνιο τόξο* (uránio tókso: _uranium arc_)
> 
> Thanks for the little exercise.  However, I'd appreciate any corrections, if I have made mistakes.


In ancient Greek "ouranios" (sorry, I can't do Greek characters right now!) meant "heavenly," from the noun "ouranos" meaning "heaven, sky." Thus: _heavenly arc_ or _sky arc_.


----------



## Kurisuru

In Irish we say *túr ceatha*, literally meaning tower of rain.


----------



## mimi2

Whodunit said:


> Can you explain what cầu and vòng mean separately?


Dear Whodunit.
You know the word “cầu” has many meanings. Let me tell you some:

cầu = ball -- play badminton = chơi cầu lông
cầu = pray – pray for peace = cầu cho hòa bình
cầu = bridge
cầu = demand – demand and supply = cung và cầu
cầu = toilet
“vòng” has this meaning:
vòng = ring, round.
I think “cầu” in “cầu vòng” has the third meaning. It is the bridge beause when the raibow appears in the sky, it looks like a bridge with the round shape so in the imagination people look at it and call it "cầu vòng”. Do you notice that?
Best wishes.


----------



## cheshire

Whodunit, many Vietnamese vocabulary come from Chinese.
mimi, really?  cầu vòng looks quite similar to 彩虹 to me. Aren't they related?


----------



## mimi2

Dear cheshire.
I don't know Chinese so I can't tell how but obviously apart from French, there are many Vietnamese words coming from Chinese.
However, I know that we rarely use these words because they are complicated and we love simplicity.
For example, the word "phức tạp". Does it come from Chinese?
Instead of saying "phức tạp", we say "khó khăn". Is it easier to understand?


----------



## cheshire

Ah, it's a coincidence, that both Chinese and Vietnamese pronunciations are similar!


----------



## Whodunit

brian8733 said:


> In ancient Greek "ouranios" (sorry, I can't do Greek characters right now!) meant "heavenly," from the noun "ouranos" meaning "heaven, sky." Thus: _heavenly arc_ or _sky arc_.



Interesting! I should have looked it up in my Ancien Greek dictionary instead of using one for Modern Greek. 


mimi2 said:


> I think “cầu” in “cầu vòng” has the third meaning. It is the bridge beause when the raibow appears in the sky, it looks like a bridge with the round shape so in the imagination people look at it and call it "cầu vòng”. Do you notice that?



Yes, I agree. That would be very likely.


----------



## betulina

Whodunit said:


> Catalan: arc de Sant Martí; arc d’iris, arc del cel (I'm not sure who _Sant Martí_ was; maybe some Catalan speaker could help here; as for _arc d'iris_, see here; _arc del cel_ means _arc of the sky_)



Hi, to me the most usual denomination in Catalan is "*arc de Sant Martí*" (Saint Martin's arc). I couldn't find where it comes from, though. 
"*Arc iris*" is also known, but without the _d'_, as far as I know. 
I've just seen "*arc del cel*" in the dictionary but I had never heard it before.


----------



## Litvinussius

Belarusian:
Вясёлка


----------



## MarX

In Indonesian:

*pelangi*


----------



## echo chamber

in macedonian: виножито (vinozito)
It has nothing to do with a bow in the sky, or something.
Divided in 2 words, it means:
вино(vino)- wine
жито(zito)-  wheat 

Interesting, huh? Have no idea where does it come from!


----------



## papillon

Litvinussius said:


> Belarusian:
> Вясёлка


I'll transliterate it: _viasiolka

_*Ukrainian* has two words:
_райдуга_ (raiduha) and веселка (veselka, compare with the belarussian one).
The *Russian* word is similar to one of these: _радуга (raduga)_. Although it contains the -duga part, similar to other slav. languages, it's not clear that these words are related. One of the possible etymologies of raduga involves the root _rad_, with the general sense of _happy, joyous._


----------



## Nanon

papillon said:


> with the general sense of _happy, joyous_



... a sense which is also conveyed by ukr. веселка and belar. вясёлка


----------



## papillon

papillon said:


> ...One of the possible etymologies of raduga involves the root _rad_, with the general sense of _happy, joyous._





Nanon said:


> ... a sense which is also conveyed by ukr. веселка and belar. вясёлка


Very true. Compare for example with Ukrainian _веселий_ (veseliy) or Russian весёлый (vesioliy), both meaning merry, jolly.


----------



## Mahaodeh

Qcumber said:


> *RAINBOW*
> Perhaps Arabic calqued the expression from Turkish, and used the second Turkish term without understanding it.
> 
> Wasn’t the bow introduced among Arabs by Mongols, Persians, or Turks?


 
For your first part, maybe; there is no consensus on where that word came from, it's only used in the rainbow.

For your second part, the Qaws also means arch; here I would translate it as arch.  However, this is the first time I hear that the bow was introduced by any of these people.  The use of the bow is much older than that.  The earliest records of a full fledge bow in the ME was in the Levantine around 5000 BC - similar bow-like instruments in the same region date as far back as 12800 BC; so I'd be more inclined to believe the Arabs simply inherited it from the peoples before them.


----------



## jana.bo99

In Slovenian: Mavrica

(people say, there is on the beginning and the end of RAINBOW some TREASURE!)


----------



## chriskardos

in Hungarian: Szivárvány


----------



## astlanda

Whodunit said:


> Estonian: vikerkaar (kaar means bow or arc, but I'm not sure about viker)



"kaar" means "arc" not "bow"
"viker" comes from "pikker", which means "thunder"


----------



## Sidjanga

*Yiddish*: רעגען־בויגן (/regn-boygn/).

Same concept like in German, English or other Germanic languages.


----------



## OldAvatar

parakseno said:


> The Romanian word for "rainbow" is "curcubeu" (neuter noun). It's rather a strange-sounding word in Romanian. There is no general agreement on its origin. (The dictionary I have writes "origin unknown", while others give totally different etymologies.)



Other sources say that the origin of the word *curcubeu *may be found in Latin words _curcus _+ _bibit_.
Similarities with Latin _circus _also suggest a Latin origin.


----------



## Alijsh

As mentioned, the Persian word is *ranginkamân*. I just wanted to add its literal meaning, which is "colored bow/arc".


----------



## Zamolxis

parakseno said:


> The Romanian word for "rainbow" is "curcubeu" (neuter noun). It's rather a strange-sounding word in Romanian. There is no general agreement on its origin. (The dictionary I have writes "origin unknown", while others give totally different etymologies.)





OldAvatar said:


> Other sources say that the origin of the word *curcubeu *may be found in Latin words _curcus _+ _bibit_.
> Similarities with Latin _circus _also suggest a Latin origin.


Or it could be la Latin _cucuvius_ = arched, bent, curved.


----------



## ulala_eu

First of all, in *Spanish *is _arcoiris _(all together) and not _arco iris_. Now, in *Galician *it's _arco da vella_ (the old lady's arch). I don't know where it comes from, but I have always though that it sounds beautifully.


----------



## Mac_Linguist

echo chamber said:


> in macedonian: виножито (vinozito)
> It has nothing to do with a bow in the sky, or something.
> Divided in 2 words, it means:
> вино(vino)- wine
> жито(zito)-  wheat


What about _божилак_ and _ѕуница_?


----------

