| German | Regenbogen | |
| Danish | regnbue | |
| Swedish | regnbåge | |
| Dutch | regenboog | |
| Old English | regnboga, seorboga | “shower-bow” |
| Latvian | varavīksne | varavīkšņains: “iridescent” |
| Lithuanian | vaivorykštė | |
| Estonian | vikerkaar | |
| Russian | радуга | дуга: “bow” |
| Slovenian | mavrica | |
| Polish | Tęcza | |
| Croatian | duga | a long feminine thing |
| Latin | arcus | |
| French | arc-en-ciel | “bow in the sky” |
| Italian | arcobaleno | “lightning bow” |
| Spanish | arco iris | |
| Portuguese | arco-íris | |
| Greek | ίρις | (iris) |
| Romainian | curcubeu | |
| Albanian | ylber | |
| Scottish | bogha-frois | bogha: “bow”, frois: “shower” |
| Irish | bogha báistí | báistí: “rain” |
| Farsi | ﺭﻨﮔﻴﻥ ﻜﻤﺎﻥ | (rangin kamân) “rainbow-arc” |
| Hawaiian | Ānuenue | many types of rainbow are distinguished in Hawaiian |
| Indonesian | pelangi | |
| Cherokee | ᎤᏅᏉᎳᏓ | (u-nv-quo-la-da) there are others |
| Navajo | nááts’íílid | |
| Hopi | tangakwunu | |
| Zuni | amidolanne | |
| Keres | kashtyaatsi | |
| Inuktitut | ᑲᑕᐅᔭᖅ ᐊᔭᒍᑕᒃ | (kataujaq, ajagutaq) seems there are many more |
| Sanskrit | इन्द्रधनुस् शक्रधनुस् इन्द्रायुध शक्रकार्मुक | (indradhanus, śakradhanus, indrāyudha, śakrakārmuka) Indra's bow, Sakra (the strong's) bow (Indra is "the strong"), Indra's weapon, the great's wood -- but there are many other terms |
| Hindi |
मेघधनुष, इन्द्र धनुष | (meghadhanuSh) "cloud bow", (indr dhanuSh) "Indra's bow" |
| Hebrew | קשת בשמים | “sky arch” |
| Arabic | قَوْسُ قُزَح | “bow-iris” |
| Hungarian | szivárvány | maybe like: autumn-stronghold |
| Finnish | sateenkaari | sateen: “rain” kaari: “bow” or “arc” |
| Turkish | gökkuşağı | |
| Korean | 무지개 | |
| Chinese | 彩虹 | (zǎi húng) variagated colors + iris (虹彩: “rainbow colors” or “iris”) |
| Vietnamese | cầu vồng | vồng alone used for “iris”, “bow”, or “rainbow”; cầu is “bridge” |
| Swahili | wakati wa | wakati “time”, “season”, “time period”; wa “spot of color”, “stain”; “sign”, “indication” |