The creative potential of language in the field of olfaction

The article is devoted to the study of the current state of the group of nominations of subjects of olfactory perception, represented by a wide range of usual and occasional lexemes, such as aromamarketer, aromastylist, perfumer, flavorist, smeller, and many others. The study of the mechanisms and strategies of naming a person who perceives a smell in semantic and pragmatic aspects allows us to identify socially significant and culturally conditioned information that is important for understanding the mental models and value orientations of the creators and users of these names. The identified lexemes differ in semantic, word-formation, and functional-stylistic aspects, which is why their frequency and spheres of use vary (from narrowly terminological to colloquial). In addition, many words are polysemous, which allows us to talk about discursive variation of meaning. The author notes that the subject of perception is characterized in terms of perceptual action and perceptual ability, and in many cases, the semantics of person names retain the seme of the voluntariness of perceptual action, although the action of smelling can occur involuntarily. Special attention is paid to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of the nomination of individuals characterized by the presence or absence of the ability to perceive odors (“smellers” and “non-smellers”). There is a tendency to expand the conceptual framework of olfactory perception to include areas of spiritual and moral assessment of individuals

Apprehension · Perception · Language, Communication, and Linguistic Studies · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies