The Power of Smell - Why Do We Lack a Verb to Describe Pleasant Odours?
When it comes to describing our experiences with smell, we often resort to words like "stinks," "reeks," or "ponges" when the scent is unpleasant. However, for those delightful odours that evoke strong memories and emotions, we seem to be at a loss for words. The lack of a verb to describe pleasant smells may be more than just an oversight in our language; it could be a reflection of how our brains process these sensory experiences.
In Welsh, there's a verb called "clywed" which roughly translates to "to feel or sense something." It encompasses not only the smell but also the sound and touch associated with it. Although this word works beautifully for describing unpleasant odours, its application to pleasant smells is limited by its inherent meaning. What would be the corresponding Welsh verb for a lovely aroma?
The Croatian language, on the other hand, has two verbs "mirišiti" and "smrditi." While the former implies a pleasant smell, the latter conveys an unpleasant one. The expression "ni miriši ni smrdi," which roughly translates to "it neither smells nor stinks," becomes a common way to describe something that's simply...vanilla – not good or bad but rather, somewhere in between.
The significance of scent in evoking memories and emotions cannot be overstated. Michael O'Shaugnessy, a senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, has discovered that certain smells like vanilla and lavender can elicit powerful emotional responses from prisoners, even those who have lost their sense of smell.
When asked if one can "smell" a smell without physically smelling it, listeners shared their experiences. Cut grass, melting butter, and bacon cooking were mentioned as scents that could be evoked even years after the original experience. The specificity of these descriptions highlights how our brains store and process sensory information in ways we're only beginning to understand.
This raises an interesting question: Why do we lack a verb to describe pleasant smells? It's possible that this is due to the way we perceive and categorize scents in general, with unpleasant odours often being more readily identifiable as "bad" or "ugly." However, for those lovely aromas that evoke positive emotions, our language seems woefully inadequate.
As I reflect on my own experiences with smell – like the iconic scent of Bache Brothers Cycles from 1977 – I'm reminded of how much our senses influence our perceptions. With this in mind, it's time to rethink how we describe and express ourselves when it comes to delightful odours.
When it comes to describing our experiences with smell, we often resort to words like "stinks," "reeks," or "ponges" when the scent is unpleasant. However, for those delightful odours that evoke strong memories and emotions, we seem to be at a loss for words. The lack of a verb to describe pleasant smells may be more than just an oversight in our language; it could be a reflection of how our brains process these sensory experiences.
In Welsh, there's a verb called "clywed" which roughly translates to "to feel or sense something." It encompasses not only the smell but also the sound and touch associated with it. Although this word works beautifully for describing unpleasant odours, its application to pleasant smells is limited by its inherent meaning. What would be the corresponding Welsh verb for a lovely aroma?
The Croatian language, on the other hand, has two verbs "mirišiti" and "smrditi." While the former implies a pleasant smell, the latter conveys an unpleasant one. The expression "ni miriši ni smrdi," which roughly translates to "it neither smells nor stinks," becomes a common way to describe something that's simply...vanilla – not good or bad but rather, somewhere in between.
The significance of scent in evoking memories and emotions cannot be overstated. Michael O'Shaugnessy, a senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, has discovered that certain smells like vanilla and lavender can elicit powerful emotional responses from prisoners, even those who have lost their sense of smell.
When asked if one can "smell" a smell without physically smelling it, listeners shared their experiences. Cut grass, melting butter, and bacon cooking were mentioned as scents that could be evoked even years after the original experience. The specificity of these descriptions highlights how our brains store and process sensory information in ways we're only beginning to understand.
This raises an interesting question: Why do we lack a verb to describe pleasant smells? It's possible that this is due to the way we perceive and categorize scents in general, with unpleasant odours often being more readily identifiable as "bad" or "ugly." However, for those lovely aromas that evoke positive emotions, our language seems woefully inadequate.
As I reflect on my own experiences with smell – like the iconic scent of Bache Brothers Cycles from 1977 – I'm reminded of how much our senses influence our perceptions. With this in mind, it's time to rethink how we describe and express ourselves when it comes to delightful odours.
I think its kinda wild that we don't have a word for something that's literally making us feel all fuzzy inside 
like, can you imagine having a verb that just means "this smells amazing" and it's not even a big deal? Like in Croatian, they've got these two verbs but they're still kinda limited to either good or bad. Its like our brains are wired to respond more strongly to the bad stuff 
. And yeah, I love how certain smells can bring back memories from years ago, its like our senses are still connected even when we think they're not 
think about all the times u got that vibe but cant even say wut ur feeling rn? maybe "clywed" from welsh cud b a good start lol what bout "scenify" or "olfacy"? idk but its time 2 get creative w/ our language 
like "to smell" but with a positive vibe? that would be amazing! 
. It makes me realize how words can shape our experiences and perceptions, right? Like, if we only have negative words for bad smells, it's hard to articulate the positive emotions associated with good ones 
. But what if we had a word that captured the essence of something beautiful or comforting? 
. We might need to rethink how we categorize scents and emotions, maybe even challenge the idea that certain smells are inherently "good" or "bad". 
it's like saying we can't see beauty because our language doesn't have the words for it...but what about music? we've got a whole vocabulary of adjectives to describe the sounds we love. so, why not scents? 
The emotional connection is real! 
What's your favorite smell? 
i mean, we got words for all sorts of things but when it comes to pleasant smells its like we just shrug and say "its a nice smell" 
. that got me thinkin if we cant even describe good smells, how do our brains actually process them? do they get stored in a special memory lane or somethin? 
Smells like nobody's done anything about the lack of a verb for pleasant smells yet... 
The fact that our brains store sensory info for years after the original experience is wild, especially with scents like cut grass or bacon cooking evoking emotions even years later 
. Can you imagine trying to describe a great smell without any words? It's like trying to put a face to a feeling 
. Language should reflect our experiences, so it's time to create a verb for those lovely aromas 
. Language should catch up with our emotions, not the other way around 
, like "savor" or something 
WE CAN'T EVEN COME UP WITH A WORD THAT DESCRIBES SOMETHING AS WONDERFUL AS ROSE OR COFFEE WITHOUT RESORTING TO NEGATIVE TERMS! IT'S LIKE, WE KNOW HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO US, BUT OUR LANGUAGE JUST CAN'T CATCH UP. AND WHY IS IT ALWAYS "IT SMELLS" OR "IT REEKS" WHEN THE OPPOSITE IS WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DESCRIBE?! 
i've tried to describe it to ppl but it's just not working lol... maybe we need a new word for it?? 
We need some new vocabulary, pronto! 
. Or, you know, we could just invent our own!
. And then there's music, clothes, books... everything has this one smell that's linked to it somehow. It's wild how much of an impact our brains can have on us through scent alone 
. We need a word for those lovely smells, or we're gonna be stuck describing them with words that don't even scratch the surface 
.
lol, but seriously, our brains are wired differently when it comes to good vs bad smells? maybe we're too focused on avoiding bad odours that we overlooked how to describe pleasant ones?
or "smellin' sweet". idk, but i'm all about rethinking our language and embracing our senses 