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Rainbow

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A meteorological phenomenon often symbolizing a covenant, promise, or bridge between heaven and earth.

Detailed Definition
In the Hebrew Bible, the rainbow is the sign of God's covenant with Noah, promising never again to destroy the world by flood. It thus symbolizes divine mercy, hope, and the restoration of peace between God and creation. In poetry, the rainbow is an image of breathtaking beauty that signifies promise after a storm, the bridging of opposites, and the fleeting, glorious nature of divine signs. It represents the grace that appears in the aftermath of turmoil and judgment.
Example
Example in poetry:
In biblical poetry, Rainbow is covenant sign: “After flood—Rainbow, God’s promise in color”; In Indigenous verse, Rainbow connects worlds: “Rainbow Serpent—creator, healer, teacher”; In contemporary poetry, Rainbow is hope: “Post-storm sky—Rainbow arches over broken city”; Poets use Rainbow for diversity: “Many hues, one arc—Rainbow as unity in difference.”
Additional Notes
The rainbow, God’s covenant sign after Noah’s flood (Genesis 9), symbolizes divine promise and restraint; in other cultures, it bridges realms (Bifröst in Norse myth); poets use rainbows to evoke hope after despair, the beauty of diversity (prism of light), or the fragile yet enduring bond between heaven and earth.
Other Meanings of “Rainbow”
Also Known As
Covenant Bow Sign of Promise bow
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