The secondary rainbow is the fainter colored arc on the outside of the primary rainbow.
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culture
In classical Chinese poetry and mythology, 霓 appears alongside 虹 (rainbow) as the secondary outer arc. The compound 霓裳 (rainbow garment) evokes celestial elegance and is used in poetry and dance names.
雨 depicts raindrops falling from a cloud. As radical it groups 霓 with 雪雷雾 - all sky and weather phenomena. A rainbow, after all, only appears when light meets airborne water, making the rain header essential.
phonetic
兒ní
child (traditional form of 儿)
兒 (the traditional form of 儿) supplies the sound ní. The childlike companion image fits a secondary rainbow that follows alongside the primary one.
