Publications
Publication details [#45332]
Plümacher, Martina and Peter Holz, eds. 2007. Speaking of Colors and Odors. (Converging Evidence in Language and Communication Research 8). John Benjamins. vi+244 pp.
Publication type
Book – edited volume
Publication language
English
Keywords
Annotation
How to speak of colors and odors? In many cases, we have to think about an adequate description of a perceived odor or shade of color. Words are not fluently available.The contributions discuss color and odor perception and its linguistic representation from different disciplinary angles: from neurobiology, neuropsychology, psycholinguistics, cognitive linguistics and philosophy. They show that linguistic representation of colors and odors depends highly on cultures of communication. Experts are skilled in discerning finer differences between their sense impressions and have at their disposal a special language which non-experts do not master. The color and odor vocabulary is rare, if there is no cultural habit to communicate the very sense impression. In cases where individuals have to speak of their sensory experiences more precisely they often turn to metaphors. The contributions discuss the lack of inter-individual conventions of naming and describing odors – compared to the more expanded linguistic representation of colors.
Articles in this volume
Heeschen, Volker. Attractiveness and adornment: Reference to colors and smells in Papuan speech communities. 85–111
Wyler, Siegfried. Color terms between elegance and beauty. The verbalization of color with textiles and cosmetics. 113–128
Dubois, Danièle. From psychophysics to semiophysics: Categories as acts of meaning. A case study from olfaction and audition, back to colors. 167–184