Cultural Factors Shape Olfactory Language.

Compared to the other senses, smell is linguistically challenged. Colors and shapes; tastes and textures, each have their armory. A tomato is ‘red’ and ‘round’. A lemon is ‘smooth’ to touch and has a ‘sour’ taste. Each sensory domain has its own lexical field: a set of words codifying the distinctions in that modality. Smell stands apart. When asked to name familiar, everyday scents English speakers are stumped.