John Benjamins Publishing Company
Let me count the ways it stinks
Abstract
In this chapter I present a three-way typology of olfactory language in Purepecha, comprising: (i) abstract terms, composed of one of 15 perception roots and the smell-specific ‘spatial couplet’ morphology -k’u and -nti; (ii) descriptive terms whose root refers to another state or event, such as ‘to burn’, plus the spatial couplet morphology; and (iii) an odor source (usually a noun) introduced by a generic verb ‘to be, smell’ ja-. I discuss how different elicitation methods obtained varying proportions of these three types, as well as the distribution of the three generic roots referring to smelling. I then offer an historical perspective, demonstrating how the same three-way typology of smell terms has remained relatively stable over time. Implications for theories of word formation in Purepecha are also considered.
Abstract
In this chapter I present a three-way typology of olfactory language in Purepecha, comprising: (i) abstract terms, composed of one of 15 perception roots and the smell-specific ‘spatial couplet’ morphology -k’u and -nti; (ii) descriptive terms whose root refers to another state or event, such as ‘to burn’, plus the spatial couplet morphology; and (iii) an odor source (usually a noun) introduced by a generic verb ‘to be, smell’ ja-. I discuss how different elicitation methods obtained varying proportions of these three types, as well as the distribution of the three generic roots referring to smelling. I then offer an historical perspective, demonstrating how the same three-way typology of smell terms has remained relatively stable over time. Implications for theories of word formation in Purepecha are also considered.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface and acknowledgments vii
- List of contributors ix
- Rendering what the nose perceives 1
- Why is smell special? 35
- The domain of olfaction in Basque 73
- On olfactory terminology in Georgian and other Kartvelian languages 113
- Let me count the ways it stinks 137
- Olfactory, gustatory and tactile perception in Beja (North-Cushitic) 175
- How to smell without a verb “to smell” in Fon 199
- How to talk about smell in Japanese 221
- An overview of olfactory expressions in Formosan languages 251
- Olfactory words in northern Vanuatu 277
- Alternating smell in Modern Hebrew 305
- Syntactic patterns for Romanian olfactive verbs 343
- Smelling over time 369
- To what extent can source-based olfactory verbs be classified as copulas? 403
- Typology of metaphors with the olfactory target domain in the Polish perfumery discourse 449
- Languages index 475
- Subjects index 477
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface and acknowledgments vii
- List of contributors ix
- Rendering what the nose perceives 1
- Why is smell special? 35
- The domain of olfaction in Basque 73
- On olfactory terminology in Georgian and other Kartvelian languages 113
- Let me count the ways it stinks 137
- Olfactory, gustatory and tactile perception in Beja (North-Cushitic) 175
- How to smell without a verb “to smell” in Fon 199
- How to talk about smell in Japanese 221
- An overview of olfactory expressions in Formosan languages 251
- Olfactory words in northern Vanuatu 277
- Alternating smell in Modern Hebrew 305
- Syntactic patterns for Romanian olfactive verbs 343
- Smelling over time 369
- To what extent can source-based olfactory verbs be classified as copulas? 403
- Typology of metaphors with the olfactory target domain in the Polish perfumery discourse 449
- Languages index 475
- Subjects index 477
