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Home » Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

A Way with Words, a radio show and podcast about language and linguistics.

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Word to describe fragrant earth in spring?
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1
2011/06/25 - 6:38pm
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While in Rhode Island in April, I went outdoors near the water (the whole state, of course, being near the water) early one morning, and smelled that wonderful moist-earth fragrance emanating from the ground…That there exists a word to describe this was discussed on one of the programs, but I can't remember the word.

Googling only turned up entries like:

butyric acid; or "…geosmin, that quintessential smell of
spring, which is actually an odor produced by actively working tiny
actinomycetes in the warming soil."

Interesting about the actinomycetes, but the word Martha and Grant mentioned was somewhat more poetic!

Can anyone help?

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2
2011/06/26 - 12:50am
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Here in the southwest Sonoran desert, after a rain, we get a very fragrant sensation. We describe it generically as "pungent" or "organic." But when waxing poetic, we call it "that wet desert smell." Maybe not so "poetic," but we enjoy it.

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3
2011/06/27 - 9:06am
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Maybe not exactly what you're looking for, but there is "petrichor" - the smell of rain on dry earth.

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4
2011/06/29 - 1:28pm
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Yes. I think that's it!

Thanks. (I seem to remember that was the word mentioned on the program...Does anyone know for sure?)

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5
2011/06/30 - 8:16am
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I don't recall petrichor being mentioned on this show - it could just be my faulty memory. I heard it on an episode of Doctor Who, a few months ago.

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6
2011/06/30 - 8:32am
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bitterpearl said:

Yes. I think that's it!

Thanks. (I seem to remember that was the word mentioned on the program…Does anyone know for sure?)

Here you go: petrichor

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7
2011/07/02 - 2:22pm
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telemath said:

I don't recall petrichor being mentioned on this show – it could just be my faulty memory. I heard it on an episode of Doctor Who, a few months ago.

Oh, no. I thought that was the word, but, now that you mention it…I'm not completely sure. Aagh.
I think the program on which it was discussed was from earlier this year (2011) , although since I listen to them as podcasts, I'm not completely sure of that either. Aagh again.

So what IS a word which resembles petrichor but isn't petrichor?

Guest
8
2011/07/05 - 5:34am
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There's also geosmin, but that is more for the chemical that produces the aroma.

But petrichor is the word discussed on AWWW. See my post above and the link to the mini podcast. I would be shocked if that isn't the word you were looking for.

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