English

rainbow

Rainbow comes from Proto-Germanic *bugô ‘bow’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰewgʰ- ‘to bend’.

Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰewgʰ-‘to bend’reconstructed
Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰugʰ-‘bow’reconstructed
Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bugô‘bow’reconstructed
Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*regnabugôreconstructed
Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*regnabogōreconstructed
Old Englishc. 450–1150reġnboga
Middle Englishc. 1150–1500reynbowe
Englishearliest quotation 1911rainbow

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰewgʰ-‘to bend’reconstructed
Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰugʰ-‘bow’reconstructed
Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bugô‘bow’reconstructed
Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*regnabugôreconstructed
Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*regnabogōreconstructed
Old Englishc. 450–1150reġnboga
Middle Englishc. 1150–1500reynbowe
Englishearliest quotation 1911rainbow

Earliest quotation: 1911, Francis R. Steel, Catching the Rainbow Trout: “Finally, by actual trial, I have found that I…”

A compound of rain + bow ‘arch’

Proto-Germanic *regną ‘rain’

Proto-West Germanic *regn ‘rain’

Old English reġn ‘rain’

Middle English reyn

English rain

Proto-Indo-European *bʰewgʰ- ‘to bend’

Proto-Indo-European *bʰugʰ-

Proto-Germanic *bugô ‘bow (weapon)’

Old English boga ‘bow (weapon)’

Middle English bowe

English bow

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *bʰewgʰ- ‘to bend’

buy, bought, bee, badge, bout, bail, bagel, bight, 3 more

through Proto-Indo-European *bʰugʰ- ‘bow’

through Proto-Germanic *bugô ‘bow’

Today it means

noun A multicoloured arch in the sky, produced by prismatic refraction of light within droplets of rain in the air.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰewgʰ- / rainbow

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