why we don’t have generic words to describe smells as opposed to colors or tastes, but can only compare the smell to something that smells the same?

Question

Like, we say that a lemon is “yellow” and “sour”, but it smells “like a lemon” (yes, you can say that it smells sour, but it’s just a copy of the taste word). Or hydrogen sulfide smells “like rotten eggs”.

In: Other

Answer 1

Well, we’re only using “generic” colors and tastes based on other things too. When I say blue, you’re actually thinking of things you’ve previously identified as blue. Though there is a specific wavelength for blue *light* on the EM spectrum. Similarly a bitter food shares a flavor with another bitter food.