Why is the smell heard and not smelled? Why do spirits listen and not smell? Any musician can easily read it, which is why musicians also always talk about the spirits “listen” and “hear”

The perfume composition does not make a sound. This is fine?

Since the time of the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius Cara, many theories have been proposed about the nature of smell. All of them can be divided into two groups: contact and wave. Biochemist, perfume critic and author of the Perfume Guide Luca Turin is one of the main proponents of the wave theory. According to it, aroma is determined by the vibration frequencies of interatomic bonds in molecules perceived by the olfactory organs. But neither she nor any other serious theory suggests comparing smell with sound. However, the identification of fragrance with music is a common practice, and the perception of perfume is equated to listening. Why?

The main reason is the insufficient vocabulary to describe smells, the secondary reason is the romanticization of the art of perfumery. The terms “note” and “chord” are firmly established in the perfume lexicon. They were first proposed by the English perfumer and chemist George Wilson Septimus Piess in mid-19th century. In his book “The Art of Perfumery” (1857), he provides correspondence between the perfume ingredients known to him and the notes of the sound spectrum. It is enough to have basic knowledge of music to understand that Piess’s work looks, at the very least, controversial. Modern supporters of “listening” to perfumes cite the following logical (as it seems to them) chain: aroma, like music, consists of notes, they merge into chords, and even workplace The perfumer is called the organ behind which he creates his “melody”. This may seem like a nice comparison, but it has nothing in common with reality. We know five basic senses: vision (the sensitive organ - the eyes), hearing (ears), smell (nose), touch (skin) and taste (tongue). Odors are perceived by the olfactory apparatus, consisting of the olfactory epithelium in the superior turbinate, the vomeronasal nerve, the terminal nerve and the accessory olfactory bulb in the forebrain, and are interpreted by the limbic system of the brain. Not a word about ears. In addition, smell is a combination of many chemical compounds that are not capable of making sounds. The identification of smell with music, as well as with visual images, tactile and taste sensations, is the result of synesthetic perception, individual in each specific case. And, as already mentioned, when describing our own impressions of a smell, we resort to the help of dictionaries from other perception systems, because the olfactory vocabulary is extremely poor.

What do they do with the smell if they don’t listen? The obvious answer to this question would be “sense”, “feel”, “perceive”. These are neutral words, but they are most suitable for the process of smell perception. No one forbids and cannot forbid describing aromas and smells with any associations and epithets, but the use of the word “listen” in this context is a gross logical error. Journalists and consultants in perfume stores are its main distributors. The only question on this topic to which we still do not have an answer is - why is the word “sniff” worse than the word “listen”? IN English language The word “smell” (smell, smell) corresponds to the process of smell; in rare cases, “feel” (feel) and never “hear” (hear). What negative connotations does the word “sniff” have in the Russian language, that, being the only true one that determines the process of smelling, it was supplanted by another verb that does not correspond to it in meaning and logic?

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For me this is very interesting topic, because it is associated with both language and perfumes. Although the Russian language is not my direct specialty (I am not a philologist, but a linguist), I love it very much and really want to talk about my point of view on “listening to aromas.”

I will assume that the use of the word "listen" in relation to fragrances is normal and not an error, since we have sufficient historical data to conclude that our "case" has existed for a long time in language and is used everywhere.

Therefore, we cannot deny it or attribute it to the illiteracy of individuals, the cunning inventions of marketers and the vulgar sublimity of powdered girls from perfume stores.

A couple of examples:

“It seemed to him that he could still hear this smell. And he remembered how, the day before her death, she took his strong white hand with her bony blackened hand, looked into his eyes and said: “Don’t judge me, Mitya, if I’m wrong.” did,” and tears appeared in eyes faded from suffering,” Leo Tolstoy “Resurrection”

What nonsense! “It’s me who bathe in the resin extract,” answered Bodrostina, and, bringing her hand closer to his face, she added: “Smell it, isn’t that it?” - No, I smell the smell of new boards, they are being planed somewhere.

Leskov "On Knives"

Then I heard (oh wonder!) a foul smell,

It's like a rotten egg has broken,

Or the quarantine guard smoked with a sulfur brazier

Pushkin (poem 1832)

Well, it goes without saying that all of us, perfume maniacs, have heard this expression a hundred million times in our lives. In general, the language of perfume maniacs is full of sound associations and metaphors.

Our scents are divided into notes, they sound, they can be too loud or too quiet. No one is surprised by descriptions of fragrances, such as: “At first tuberose was the soloist, jasmine echoed it, and then amber and patchouli entered, and on this note everything suddenly ended.” How much more musical? Is it true?

There are also phrases such as “cacophony of aromas.” We immediately understand what is meant - this is not just a mixture of smells, it is a mixture of aromas that are not friendly with each other, do not combine, irritate, like the empty strumming of a musical instrument.

And in all this I see very interesting point. I believe that languages ​​are complex dynamic systems because they have the hallmarks of complex dynamic systems: multiple, diverse agents and interconnectedness. Consequently, not a single phenomenon, even the craziest at first glance, happens by chance, just like that. And “listening” about fragrances is not an accidental mistake or a short-term fashion.

I'll try to explain now how I see it.

We have senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste and balance. We receive the bulk of information through vision, followed by hearing, touch, smell and taste (in to a lesser extent), well, the balance is generally similar to Pluto in solar system- almost lost, not quite even a planet. And these feelings of ours and their role in obtaining information have a strong influence on the formation of language.

Look how many different words we have associated with vision: see, look, watch, behold, and so on. And how mobile these words are, how easily they form derivatives with new meanings: to discern, to peep, to notice, to review, and so on.

The same goes for hearing, although to a slightly lesser extent: listening, eavesdropping, and so on.

The most depleted of epithets for us, of course, is a sense of balance, which can only be lost and regained. And it seems that we don’t even have verbs relating only to this feeling.

Since receiving information is associated with a process of collection and processing (roughly speaking), words that correlate with feelings are displayed in pairs. Things go best with the most active methods of obtaining information: “look-see”, “listen-hear”.

And then the difficulties begin. Sense of touch. The word touch can mean both to touch and to feel touched. This is a pair in itself, without distinctions based on the “reception-sensation” principle. But here we have other tools: “touch-feel”, “touch-feel” and others like them in different combinations.

Smell. Smell. Just like “touch,” “smell” can mean both the process of drawing in air and the process of sensing the aroma, so to speak, processing the data received.

And look how clumsy and clumsy these words are, how narrow their range of application is, no scale, no range! You cannot “touch” or “smell”. We practically never use them. colloquial speech. They are largely protocol.

There is a word “sniff”, but it does not have a pair, although it accurately and definitely refers to an action aimed at obtaining information. There are auxiliary tools - to feel, sense and hear (and where you hear, there you listen). A tricky question may arise here: why is the word “hear” applied to the organs of smell, but not to the organs of touch? Because we hear from a distance and we can smell aromas from a distance. But touch it - no.

I want to give an example:

He felt the scent of home

He heard the aroma of his home

He smelled the scent of his home

I don’t know about you, but for me personally, the first option suggests that “he” was already inside his own home, feeling the aroma

The second option tells me that he is somewhere near the house, but not inside, maybe on the way

And the third option tells me that his house smells bad. Or that “he” is a dog.

And in general, derivatives of the word “sniff” often sound ironic - all these sniff, sniff... And the process of sniffing itself refers to the physical drawing in of air. This is why cocaine is snorted and not snorted. Sniff - sniff with your nostrils.

But the sense of taste does not have such luxury. The word “to try” borrowed from German and words-auxiliary tools taken from the sense of touch - that’s all. Even the related word “eat” has a different meaning.

Please note that the basic senses do not need these tools. We don’t feel the paintings in the museum and we don’t feel the music in MP3 format.

Thus, when you lack your own, relatives visual arts, they are borrowed from neighboring areas. At the same time, borrowings fit well into the setting and ideally display all the necessary nuances.

And one more thing related to fragrances. As we know, the word “aroma” has several meanings. There is aroma - a synonym for smell, and there is aroma - a synonym for perfume. We cannot smell the smell, we sense or feel the smell (or listen ha-ha-ha), because it is a property, not an object. We can smell its source. And we can easily smell the aroma of a bottle of perfume. And this is where confusion often arises when a person, roughly speaking, holds a blotter in his hands and “sniffs” its aroma. Although he can only smell the blotter itself, and he can inhale the aroma. Or listen, which implies the active involvement of attention and mental work in the process itself. He can feel and feel the aroma - these words are also appropriate, but they do not appeal to attention, while when choosing perfume, we carefully listen to their shades, and not just feel it randomly, as we can feel, for example, cold , going out onto the balcony.

Well, why am I here, my thoughts naturally spread throughout the tree. Convenience. In addition to poetry, in addition to the associative connection between aromas and music, in addition to the lack of native flexible instruments, the sense of smell has a banal convenience:

Listen to the aroma! What do you hear?

I hear cherry and gladiolus

Smell the aroma! What do you feel/smell/feel?

Here you still have to choose words, and language, every language, strives for simplicity and brevity. By the way, I, for example, would not be very pleased with a question about what I smell from a stranger, even if we are talking about fragrances. It sounds too personal. But this is my personal opinion.

Objectively, such a question can be perceived in two ways. Or sound too literary and sublime for a regular store. Although, I’m being picky, this is also possible. But this is not the only way.

Well, one last thing. IN last days several times I heard that we cannot listen with our noses because there are no hearing receptors there. By the way, I didn’t hear it, but saw it several times, because I read it with my eyes on the screen :)

But we can listen to the voice of the heart or its call, our eyes can speak, and not only our eyes, but also our postures and appearance, behavior. Although they have nothing to say: there are no speech organs. And people vote with their feet and all that...Feelings are allowed to “walk” back and forth, transfer from one sphere to another. Why? Because the world for us is a source of information, feelings, emotions and thoughts. He speaks to us, and we hear and analyze him. And formalities, in the form of the presence of receptors, often fade into the background, giving way to linguistic metaphors and colors. Of course, if we're talking about not about the text of the medical examination.

I am glad that we always have a choice. We can smell, listen, smell. And no one forces us to use words that we don’t like. And that's great! And, most importantly, I wish everyone endless perfume joys and plenty of room for smell!

- Simply about the complex, with humor about the serious, modestly about the great. The answer to the popular question “smell or listen to perfume” in the article:

Chapter first.The Russian language and its understanding are individual for everyone:

The Russian language is very rich and flexible, no matter what you say.

“Smell” or “listen” - say what is convenient for you personally.

And “listen”, and “smell”, and “feel” perfume - all words are permissible.

No one can stop you from making your own comfortable choice.

In the Moscow Museum of Perfume and in all other perfume museums in the world, as well as in all perfume workshopsspirits LISTEN.

We never insist that you use this word and we always appreciate your understanding.

to the fact that you respect our choice.

And that's why museums, perfumers, musicians and many others choose the word "LISTEN".

Chapter two.Human nature. Olfactory hearing:

Olfactory (olfactory) memory of a person belongs to one of the long-term types of memory.

A person receives olfactory memory by birthright, like all other types of long and short memory.

Olfactory memory is the most powerful and most reliable human memory.

Everyone who has already attended tastings at the Moscow Museum of Perfumery agrees with this without any doubt,

those whose souls were turned upside down by meeting their past.

Olfactory HEARING (olfactory HEARING, olfactory memory) just as musical hearing (auditory memory) develops well.

For example, a child was sent as an apprentice to a perfumer, just as they are now sent to study at a music school.

Unfortunately, there are no children's perfume schools in the world where children would be sent to study as widely as they are sent to music schools.

It is best to develop olfactory memory, as well as an ear for music, from early childhood.

That is why the old art of perfumery in most cases is dynastic, and there are very few brilliant perfumers in the world,

like brilliant composers, poets, musicians.

Everyone can develop their hearing, listen, distinguish and hear odors, including perfumes.

Of course, this is best done by a person who has undergone training.

Everything is exactly the same as with development musical ear or with the development of taste buds.

As a result, in life some people hear and understand music better, and some less.

Some are gourmets, others are indifferent to the subtleties of taste.

The same is true with the development of olfactory hearing (olfactory memory).

We are all different, and that's the beauty of it.

Just as theaters are created not only for professionals, museums are accessible to everyone.

If you are modest and think that you have trouble hearing smells or “cannot distinguish” odors, then we assure you: THIS IS NOT SO.

Chapter three.Human nose:

The human nose is much more sensitive than “they write on the Internet.”

The human nose can hear odors much better than the human eye can distinguish shades!

In the human eye, three receptors work harmoniously and allow us to see up to 10 million shades.

Meanwhile, the nose has as many as 400 olfactory receptors!

Take the risk of counting the required number and you will be surprised that The average person can distinguish at least one trillion odors.

Do not be surprised.

Scientific work medical institute Howard Hughes and the Rockefeller University was published in the journal Science.

Chapter Four. Perfumer's notebook:

In 1877 a English perfumer George William Septimus Piesse published a work

in which he compared the volatility of natural aromas and the frequencies of sound vibrations,

believing that the lower the frequency, the lower the sound and the longer it lasts on the ear.

Accordingly, the less volatile the substance, the quieter its aroma, but it lasts longer on the sense of smell.

Conversely, sounds with a high frequency produce a short but intense sound, and a powerful, ringing smell also does not last long.

This is what a perfume notebook looks like, the perfume notebook of Septimus Piesse

Any musician can easily read it,That’s why musicians also always talk about the spirits “LISTEN” and “HEAR”.

Did you know that any piece of music can be transformed into a perfume, and vice versa?

As in any art, in the art of perfumery, too, reference is made from one type of art to another.

Septimus Piesse said: “As an artist mixes his paints, so a perfumer must mix his aromas.”

Chapter Five. The nature of perfume art:

Perfume is created using a tool called a perfumer. org a n .

Orgue à parfums - if you call the instrument in French.

Exactly behind the perfume organ, perfumer of notes writes, composes, collects and acts out his fragrantmelodies, scales, chords.

The perfumer creates his own, incomparable, perfume melody

complex works are perfumes

easy popular melodies are perfume compositions

“I am a writer, my novels are without words; I am a composer, my music is without sounds. I am a perfumer,” - Paul Vacher (Paul Vacher), great perfumer,

author of legendary perfumes, including the Miss Dior fragrance for the Christian Dior house.

In the photo: the perfume organ of the French perfumer Isabelle Doyen:

Isabelle Doyen is a perfumer who graduated from the International Institute of Perfumery, Cosmetics and Fragrances ISIPCA in 1982, was a former assistant to Annick Goutal herself and later became the teacher of Goutal's daughter, Camille.

Today, Isabelle and Camilla create fragrances together for the Annick Goutal brand.

Chapter six. Perfume ethics and etiquette. Art of Living. Art de Vivre:

Ironic French perfumers say:“When a person has nothing to say about perfume, he tries to break it down into notes.”

The perfume formula, a work of perfumery art, belongs exclusively to its author - the perfumer.

Exactly until he personally decides to publish/sell/transfer his formula to another person

It is completely indecent to ask a perfumer about the composition of his formulas, and even more indecent to talk about other people's formulas.

It is correct and much more useful to listen, enjoy, hear and try to understand

Isabelle Doyen says:“Before I sit down to write a new fragrance, I go to the bookstore.

Then I take a notebook with secret formulas and on a blank page I write one single word: “Password.”

The password, which will determine the main direction of work on the fragrance, will evoke the necessary associations.

The password for Nuit Etoilee is "Wyoming", an American state with nature of unreal beauty.

Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, rivers, forests - all this should be immediately imagined by those who inhale the aroma of perfume.”

We don't know any museums to which perfumers donate their formulas, and the Moscow Museum of Perfumery is no exception.

Museums have never shown tactlessness, have never ventured into “forbidden areas” and have not approached any author/copyright holder of formulas in order to

so that they would reveal their secret notebooks.

- Quod licet Jovi, non licet bovi (Latin) - What is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed to the bull.

Perfume museums, even without formulas, always have something to tell about perfume.

Perfumes in museums are presented only within the boundaries and gradations in which they were presented to the general public by the author/perfume house/fashion house.

You can create your own secret formulas at, including educational master classes with some

with the help of professional perfumers.

At our perfume tastings, we will never force you to look for any particular note in the sounds of brilliant perfumes.

We will not force you to applaud individual notes and chords,

We invite you, without exception, to a concert of classical perfume music to listen to great perfume works in their entirety.

The Russian language has more than thousand-year history. Some expressions that we use without thinking Everyday life, upon initial consideration, may seem illogical or even strange. It is difficult for a foreigner studying Russian to explain why a fly is sitting on the wall and a vase is on the table. It can also be difficult to remember, say: put on a coat or dress, hear a smell or feel. Well, the phrase “no, that’s incorrect” has completely become classic example Russian logic. This article is about how to say correctly: “the smell is heard or felt.”

Not only the East, but also the language is a delicate matter

The task is quite difficult. Not every linguist can clearly explain how to correctly say: “the smell is heard or felt.” Often, to interpret the difficulties of Russian, it is necessary to turn to dictionaries, reference books, and even material from other languages. In particular, many people wonder how, according to Russian rules, “one hears or feels smells”?

Every nation has a certain picture of the world, which is reflected in one way or another in a system of symbols. But the system itself has internal laws and its own logic. Not only do we make language, but it also makes us.

To understand the difference between the expressions “hearing a smell or feeling”, it is not necessary to immediately turn to dictionaries. It is easy to notice that the verb “hear” means to a greater extent the physical ability to perceive sounds, and the verb “feel” reflects the mental state.

We perceive external world complexly, because our senses interact with each other. Thus, in painting there are cold and warm shades, in music there are heavy melodies, etc. Therefore, sometimes we figuratively say that we hear a smell, meaning by this the process of perceiving a particular aroma.

Words, like people, may not fit together

The term “valency” is familiar to many people since school days. This is the name given in chemistry to the ability of a molecule to bind to another molecule. But language, despite the abundance of phrases and words that seem to have no logic, is in fact a wisely organized system of signs.

In linguistics, valency refers to the ability of one lexeme to be combined with other words. For example, we say “thin road”, “thin path”, but “thin man”. Semantically, the word "thin" goes better with inanimate objects or body parts, but people in general are not spoken of this way. In the famous story by A. Chekhov, one of the friends is called thin, and not thin, because this character, unlike his “fat” friend, has lost his individuality and honor and turned into a servile flatterer.

Chekhov used the epithet “subtle” on purpose, to give the story more emotionality. But sometimes we make random mistakes, because in addition to the norms literary language There is also colloquial speech, which often goes beyond the norm. Therefore, in order to understand how to correctly say “I smell or feel”, you need to turn to explanatory dictionary and a dictionary of combinability of words in the Russian language. Well, the logic of constructing these phrases was discussed above.

What dictionaries say

In the first half of the twentieth century. both forms were absolutely equal - “hear the smell” and “smell the smell”. This can be checked using D.S.’s dictionary. Ushakova.

However, from the middle of the twentieth century. The language system has changed somewhat and now the only correct general literary norm is the combination “to smell.” It is in this form that this expression is presented in the dictionary of word combinability, published in 1983 by the Institute of Russian Language. A.S. Pushkin. On this moment this is one of the most authoritative publications of its kind.

Meanwhile, in “live” speech...

Linguists are engaged in fixing, describing and justifying literary norms. However, almost 30 years have passed since 1983, and the language has changed somewhat, because it is constantly and tirelessly evolving. With the improvement of people's living standards, the perfume industry is improving, new types of perfumes are appearing, specialized stores are opening, etc.

As a result, we now see that the expression “hearing a smell” has not completely fallen out of use, but has migrated to the area of ​​Perfumers do not think about whether they need to hear the smell or feel it. After all, for them perfume is a kind of music of the body, special language moods and desires.

Thus, if you do not know whether you hear or smell perfume, you can safely use both of these phrases in colloquial speech. In everyday communication this will not be a mistake. True, in official documents, if they have to be drawn up, a standardized combination should still be used. If we are talking about an unpleasant smell, then in any case you need to use the verb “feel”.

What other verbs can the word “smell” be combined with?

In addition to the word “feel”, the following verbs are combined with the lexemes “aroma” and “smell”:

• absorb;
• be in love;
• have;
• publish;
• do not tolerate;
• cannot be tolerated.

The smell itself can come or penetrate somewhere/from somewhere, and also remind you of something, whether you like it or not.

How is the expression “smell” translated into other languages?

It is interesting that in European languages ​​the verb “to feel” is also most often used with the word “smell”: French. “sentir”, English. "feel". True, it should be noted here that if the English do not think about whether to smell or feel, there are other subtleties in their language. Just remember famous song Nirvana "Smells like teen spirit". After all, “smell” literally means “to smell”, to perceive by smell. How would you translate the title? impossible, isn't it?

In Ukrainian there are the same variants of combinations as in Russian. Against the backdrop of the normalized expression “vіdchuvati odol” in colloquial speech and journalism, you can find the phrase “huti odor” (literally “hear the smell”).

Perhaps the tendency to perceive perfume aromas as music is characteristic of many Slavic peoples.

Thus, there is no unambiguous answer to the question of which is correct: the smell is heard or felt. The official norm is the second option, but the first is also acceptable in colloquial and professional speech.

WHY DO THEY SAY "LISTEN" TO THE FRAGRANCE? You've probably noticed that in perfume stores, consultants usually offer customers not to smell, but to listen to a particular scent. “Strange,” you thought. “Everyone knows that people pick up smells with their nose, not their ears. Then why do they say that they listen to aromas and not smell them? Where did this strange terminology come from? Well, let's figure it out. WHY DO THEY SAY “LISTEN” TO THE AROMAT AND NOT “SNELL”? Of course, “listen to the aroma” is a figurative expression. You don't need to hold a bottle of perfume to your ear to hear something. And yet, where did it come from? It's all about the associativity of our thinking. For example, we often draw parallels between smell and taste. When describing the taste of a vintage wine, we will most likely talk about its stunning bouquet. And we associate many aromatic plants with a certain taste, since we often use them as seasonings. Some scientists have also tried to draw an analogy between color and smell. They suggested that the seven primary colors of the spectrum could correspond to seven musical notes., is not a static (frozen) sound, but plays and develops over time. Now do you understand why they say that you need to listen to the aroma? Agree, in this context the word “sniff” sounds somehow strange. HOWEVER, THERE IS A SMALL BUT THEY ARE LISTENING TO AROMAS, BUT STILL SMELLING PERFUME Some consultants in stores are so carried away that they offer clients to listen to perfume instead of aroma. Which, strictly speaking, is wrong.<духи>Since the source of the odor (in<какой аромат>in this case