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Petrichor

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I wonder if this is one of the cues birds use to direct them to high-rainfall areas, particularly in the arid zone? https://theconversation.com/the-smell-of-rain-how-csiro-invented-a-new-word- 39231 Stephen Ambrose Ryde NSW

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5 responses to “Petrichor”

  1. calyptorhynchus Avatar
    calyptorhynchus

    Ii don’t see what’s the matter with the Joycean ‘rainsmell’. John Leonard On 2 April 2015 at 13:52, Carl Clifford <carlsclifford@gmail.com> wrote: — John Leonard Canberra Australia http://www.jleonard.net I want to be with the 9,999 other things.

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  2. martinflab Avatar
    martinflab

    Carl Good point. Why not move a bit further North than the Cape, and a bit further back in time, to Olduvai Gorge? The people there these days speak Kiswahili (as well as Kimaasai) and would call the smell of rain “harafu ya mvua”? That could cause wazungu tonsils to get a bit knotted so perhaps acronym it to HYM. Martin Martin Butterfield http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/ On 2 April 2015 at 15:01, Carl Clifford <carlsclifford@gmail.com> wrote:

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  3. carlsclifford Avatar
    carlsclifford

    Martin, I was thinking more of something in Xhosa, actually. Something that would evoke the feelings of our distant ancestors as the crossed the parched African veldt and sensed the oncoming rains. Or perhaps rain smell will do. Carl

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  4. martinflab Avatar
    martinflab

    Carl Playing with English letters for the greek translations of a couple of words I came up with “neromyrodia” for “water scent”. Would that suit you better? Martin Martin Butterfield http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/ On 2 April 2015 at 13:52, Carl Clifford <carlsclifford@gmail.com> wrote:

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  5. carlsclifford Avatar
    carlsclifford

    I would not be surprised. According to the article about petrichor on the CSIRO’s web site, mammals seem to smell it. I have always found the smell of petrichor somewhat exciting. Perhaps it is hard wired into us. They could have coined a more romantic name, though. The ichor part reminds me of horror movies. Carl Clifford

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