Poem: "Hungry Tigers"
Sep. 10th, 2022 08:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the September 6, 2022 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from See_Also_Friend. It also fills the "Hungry Tiger" square in my 9-1-22 card for the Land of Oz Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Achilleus of the_broken_tower.
"Hungry Tigers"
Jahai is the language
with a word for every scent.
Plʔεŋ means a bloody smell
that attracts tigers. It also
applies to the squirrel blood
and to crushed head lice.
This is subtly different
from the delightful smell
of raw meat or raw fish,
though it would seem
that those would also
delight hungry tigers.
Cŋəs describes spicy,
oily smells -- cinnamon,
garlic, onions, coffee,
chocolate, and coconuts.
Pʔus refers to the reek of
day-old food, cabbage
and decaying huts.
They have another word
for the bouquet of smoke,
bat droppings, and millipedes.
Tpɨt encompasses the smell
of ripe fruits, some flowers, soap,
and the bearcat-like binturongs
who live high in the trees.
The Jahai people have
so many words for scents
because they live in a jungle
where it is vitally important
to know what is edible
or toxic, ripe or rotten,
and above all else,
how not to smell like
lunch to hungry tigers.
* * *
Notes:
Jahai is a jungle language with an extensive, precise vocabulary for fragrances.
It’s also pretty useful to know which scents will attract predators because you generally want to avoid smelling like something’s dinner. By the way, “plʔεŋ” (“pla-ehng”) is the word that means the “bloody smell that attracts tigers.” It also applies to the blood of squirrels and crushed head lice.
For example, if you gave a member of the Jahai tribe a whiff of cinnamon, he or she would describe it as “cŋəs” (“cng-oos”) a word that’s also used for garlic, onions, coffee, chocolate, and coconuts.
While an English speaker might say day-old food smells “bad” or “rank” or “stinky”—words which can describe any number of things—the Jahai say “pʔus” (“pa-oos”) which also describes old huts and cabbage. They have a weird word that captures the bouquet of smoke, bat droppings, and millipedes, and they have another that expresses the delightful odor of raw meat and raw fish.
Well, the word “tpɨt” (“t-piwt”) sums up the smell of ripe fruits and some flowers as well as soap and, believe it or not, binturongs (weird, bearcat-like creatures that live in trees).
the_broken_tower."Hungry Tigers"
Jahai is the language
with a word for every scent.
Plʔεŋ means a bloody smell
that attracts tigers. It also
applies to the squirrel blood
and to crushed head lice.
This is subtly different
from the delightful smell
of raw meat or raw fish,
though it would seem
that those would also
delight hungry tigers.
Cŋəs describes spicy,
oily smells -- cinnamon,
garlic, onions, coffee,
chocolate, and coconuts.
Pʔus refers to the reek of
day-old food, cabbage
and decaying huts.
They have another word
for the bouquet of smoke,
bat droppings, and millipedes.
Tpɨt encompasses the smell
of ripe fruits, some flowers, soap,
and the bearcat-like binturongs
who live high in the trees.
The Jahai people have
so many words for scents
because they live in a jungle
where it is vitally important
to know what is edible
or toxic, ripe or rotten,
and above all else,
how not to smell like
lunch to hungry tigers.
* * *
Notes:
Jahai is a jungle language with an extensive, precise vocabulary for fragrances.
It’s also pretty useful to know which scents will attract predators because you generally want to avoid smelling like something’s dinner. By the way, “plʔεŋ” (“pla-ehng”) is the word that means the “bloody smell that attracts tigers.” It also applies to the blood of squirrels and crushed head lice.
For example, if you gave a member of the Jahai tribe a whiff of cinnamon, he or she would describe it as “cŋəs” (“cng-oos”) a word that’s also used for garlic, onions, coffee, chocolate, and coconuts.
While an English speaker might say day-old food smells “bad” or “rank” or “stinky”—words which can describe any number of things—the Jahai say “pʔus” (“pa-oos”) which also describes old huts and cabbage. They have a weird word that captures the bouquet of smoke, bat droppings, and millipedes, and they have another that expresses the delightful odor of raw meat and raw fish.
Well, the word “tpɨt” (“t-piwt”) sums up the smell of ripe fruits and some flowers as well as soap and, believe it or not, binturongs (weird, bearcat-like creatures that live in trees).
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-11 02:44 am (UTC)[search engine]
Ah, a pygmy Reiner. They could be scaled up to a polar bear...
Glad to see these posted. :)
- Achilleus (he/him)
Thoughts
Date: 2022-09-11 02:52 am (UTC)[search engine]
Ah, a pygmy Reiner. They could be scaled up to a polar bear...<<
They do kinda look like a bear/cat cross, but I'm seeing otter in that mix too. :D And when I researched, I found one named Popcorn, likely from the "buttered popcorn" smell that someone else mentioned. <3
>> Glad to see these posted. :)
Thank you for sponsoring it!
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2022-09-11 04:13 pm (UTC)They smell like popcorn?
Some species just win in the scent lottery.
- Alvin (he/him)
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2022-09-11 08:06 pm (UTC)