Revisiting the limits of language: the odor lexicon of Maniq.

•According to popular opinion, language cannot encode odors.•However, the Maniq language has an elaborate lexicon dedicated to smell.•The Maniq smell lexicon is organized in a multidimensional structure.•The underlying dimensions of the odor lexicon are pleasantness and dangerousness.•The Maniq data show that language can encode odors.