What do we talk about when we talk about smell? Mostly other things. English speakers frequently describe a scent according to what it reminds us of, not using a specific name for the odor itself. [...]

But because a thing might hold true for Westerners or English speakers does not mean it is universal to the human experience. [Linguists Nicole Kruspe and Asifa Majid] are studying hunter-gatherer cultures in Asia, where people take a very different approach to odors. In 2014, Majid discovered that people who speak the Jahai language named odors as easily as English speakers identify colors.

— Read more at These hunter-gatherers are probably better at naming scents than you at The Washington Post.