Odors as expressions of language.

[XSteveO]

When someone calls and asks me to describe Sultans Oud to them I typically struggle to tell them what it smells like. Apparently I am not alone as it has been revealed that the description of odors is a universally difficult subject. Or is it? According to a recently published study in the Journal Science Direct most Western languages struggle with describing odors. However when asking other cultures, such as the Jahai of the Malay Peninsula, to describe an odor as they would a color the responses were astounding. This task, presumptively impossible in Western cultures was easily completed by the Jahai.

Apparently you can describe an odor just as long as you speak the right language. You can read a brief synopsis of the study at the above link I provided. To read the entire study you are required to buy the article.

I find the study of our olfactory abilities quite interesting.