Taxonomy of meanings for 虹:　　

  • 虹 gòng (OC: kooŋs MC: kuŋ) 古送切 去 廣韻：【縣名在泗州今音絳 】
  • 虹 hóng (OC: ɡooŋ MC: ɦuŋ) 戸戶公切 平 廣韻：【螮蝀也又古巷切 】
  • 虹 jiàng (OC: krooŋs MC: kɯɔŋ) 古巷切 去 廣韻：【又音紅 】

    Additional information about 虹

    說文解字: 【虹】，螮蝀也，狀似蟲。从虫、工聲。《明堂月令》曰：虹始見。 【戶工切】 【𧌫()】、籒文虹从申。申，電也。

      Criteria
    • RAINBOW

      1. The general word for rainbow is hóng 虹, and the word refers specifically to the rainbow itself as opposed to the faded colours manifesting themselves around the rainbow.

      2. Ní 霓 refers to the faded colours around the rainbow.

      3. Dì dō4ng 螮蝀 is an archaic poetic way of referring to the rainbow.

    • CLOUD

      1. The current general word for a cloud is yún 雲.

      2. Xiāo 霄 refers in an elevated style to high thin clouds, and the word is fairly rare.

      3. Xiá 霞 refers to misty, rosy-coloured clouds.

      4. Yùn 暈 refers to the halo round sun or moon which can occur when certain cloud formations surround the sun or moon, a phenomenon which attracted particular attention Shang dynasty astronomers.

      5. Bái hóng 白虹 refers to the palish rainbow-like structure which sometimes accompanies the halo round the moon or the sun.