Olfaction
/ɒlˈfækʃən/noun
The sense or act of smelling.
Did you know?Olfaction comes from a Latin compound combining “to smell” with “to make or do,” framing smelling as an active process rather than passive perception.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃el-
“To smell or emit a scent; the reconstructed root associated with the Latin smell-word family.”
Classical Latin
Latin
oleō
“I smell or give off a scent.”
Classical Latin
Latin
olfaciō
“I smell; literally, I make or perform smelling, formed from oleō plus faciō, “to make or do.””
Late Latin
Latin
olfactus
“The act or sense of smelling; the past participle of olfaciō.”
17th Century
English
olfaction
“The act or faculty of smelling, borrowed from Latin olfactiō.”
Modern English
English
olfaction
“The sense or act of smelling.”