Olfactory language
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Olfactory language refers to language associated with the sense of smell. It involves the naming and categorisation of odours by humans according to each odour's perceived source or attributes. The study of olfactory language is part of the field of linguistics and is distinct from the study of semiochemical communication, which involves communication between organisms using chemical substances.
Variation between speech communities
Different speech communities tend to display differences in both the perception and linguistic categorisation of odours. Some languages, such as Jahai, use more abstract terms to describe odours, while other languages, such as Dutch, use more concrete terms.[1] Abstract terms are often used by speakers to describe "similar" odours that may originate from a wide range of sources. In contrast, concrete terms are used by speakers to identify the source itself, or at least what the speaker perceives the source to be.
Variation within speech communities
Speech communities that share a language and many cultural traditions may still show varied perceptions of an odour based on its prevalence and most common source where the speakers live. However, providing concrete names of the source of the odours makes cultural differences disappeare or decrease.
Clinical applications
In a clinical setting, patients may undergo olfactory tests to aid in diagnosis of mental disorders.[2] A common test involves the use of "Sniffin' Sticks", a set of marker pens imbued with different scents at varying dilutions.[3] Sniffin' Sticks are used both for diagnosis and for research into olfaction, including olfactory language.[1] Due to linguistic variation across speech communities, the Sniffin' Sticks test must be validated for each country in which clinicians wish to use it for individual diagnosis.[4] Rather than using a literal translation of scent descriptors, researchers validating the test in a new country may need to change the translated descriptors to more culturally-appropriate terms for the speech community in question. For example, researchers validating the Sniffin' Sticks test for the Portuguese population changed the "grapefruit" scent descriptor to the Portuguese word for "orange". This was because grapefruit are not commonly eaten in Portugal, which resulted in participant familiarity falling below the benchmark of 75%. Altering lesser known descriptors such as "grapefruit" to less literal but more culturally-relevant translations increased familiarity to within the range expected for healthy populations, thus validating the test for the Portuguese population without needing to alter the scents themselves.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Olfactory language and abstraction across cultures". Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences. 373 (1752): 20170139. 2018. doi:10.1098/rstb.2017.0139. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|authors=ignored (help) - ^ "The applicability of the "Sniffin' Sticks" olfactory test in a Turkish population". Medical Science Monitor. 19: 1221–1226. 2013. doi:10.12659/MSM.889838. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|authors=ignored (help) - ^ "'Sniffin' sticks': olfactory performance assessed by the combined testing of odor identification, odor discrimination and olfactory threshold". Chemical Senses. 22 (1): 39–52. 1997. doi:10.1093/chemse/22.1.39. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|authors=ignored (help) - ^ "Validation study of the "Sniffin' Sticks" olfactory test in a British population: a preliminary communication". Clinical Otolaryngology. 37: 32–27. 2012. doi:10.1111/j.1749-4486.2012.02431.x. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
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