Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T08:55:28.239Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Language does provide support for basic tastes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2008

Asifa Majid  and
Stephen C. Levinson
Asifa Majid
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6500AH, The Netherlands. [email protected]://www.mpi.nl/Members/[email protected]://www.mpi.nl/Members/StephenLevinson
Stephen C. Levinson
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6500AH, The Netherlands. [email protected]://www.mpi.nl/Members/[email protected]://www.mpi.nl/Members/StephenLevinson
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Recurrent lexicalization patterns across widely different cultural contexts can provide a window onto common conceptualizations. The cross-linguistic data support the idea that sweet, salt, sour, and bitter are basic tastes. In addition, umami and fatty are likely basic tastes, as well.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 31 , Issue 1 , February 2008 , pp. 86 - 87
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Berlin, B. & Kay, P. (1969) Basic color terms: Their universality and evolution. University of California Press.Google Scholar
Chamberlain, A. F. (1903) Primitive taste words. American Journal of Psychology 14:146–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilbertson, T. A. (1998) Gustatory mechanisms for the detection of fat. Current Biology 8:447–52.Google ScholarPubMed
Ikdea, K. (1909/2002) New seasonings. Chemical Senses 27:847–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindemann, B., Ogiwara, Y. & Ninomiya, Y. (2002) The discovery of umami. Chemical Senses 27:843–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Myers, C. S. (1904) The taste-names of primitive peoples. British Journal of Psychology 1:117–26.Google Scholar
O'Mahony, M., Goldenberg, M., Stedmon, J. & Alford, J. (1979) Confusion in the use of the taste adjectives ‘sour’ and ‘bitter’. Chemical Senses 4:301–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Regier, T., Kay, P. & Cook, R. S. (2005) Focal colors are universal after all. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 102(23):8386–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Regier, T., Kay, P. & Khetarpal, N. (2007) Color naming reflects optimal partitions of color space. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104:1436–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tepper, B. J. & Nurse, R. J. (1997) Fat perception is related to PROP taster status. Physiology & Behavior 61:949–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed