২১ বৈশাখ ১৪২৬ | 3 may 2019
Bangla Word of the Day: রংধনু [rɔṁdhônu] | rainbow
রংধনু [rɔṁdhônu] translates to “bow of color” and is used commonly in Bangladesh. Another way to say “rainbow” is রামধনু [ramdhônu], meaning “Lord Rama’s bow”, which is used in West Bengal. Considering the majority religions of West Bengal and Bangladesh, naturally West Bengal keeps the old Hindu-associated term while Bangladesh, a Muslim majority country, favors the alternative.
This difference has caused a little controversy, especially in West Bengal where রামধনু is considered correct. A couple years ago, attempts to secularize language in West Bengal textbooks stirred outrage when রংধনু was used instead. This is but one of many disputes involving the dialectical differences found in Bangla.