一切經音義 24.272

24.272

虹霓（上胡公反下藝奚反爾雅音義曰虹出盛者為雄雄曰虹闇者為雌雌曰蜺月令季春虹始見說文虹狀似蟲從虫工聲霓青赤白色陰氣也從雨兒聲經從虫作蜺謂小蟬也非經義）。

Rainbow (the first character is *hu* + *gong* [hóng]; the second is *yi* + *xi* [nì]. The Erya yinyi says: "When a rainbow appears, the bright one is the male, and the male is called *hong*; the faint one is the female, and the female is called *ni*." The 'Monthly Ordinances' says: "In the last month of spring, rainbows begin to appear." The Shuowen says: "A rainbow resembles an insect; it is categorized under 'insect' [虫] with *gong* [工] phonetic." *Ni* is blue, red, and white, representing yin energy; it is categorized under 'rain' [雨] with *er* [兒] phonetic. When the sūtra text writes it with 'insect' as 蜺, this refers to a small cicada, which is not the meaning of the sūtra).