olfactus

Latin

Etymology 1

From olfaciō (“to smell, scent”) +‎ -tus (action noun suffix).

Noun

olfactus m (genitive olfactūs); fourth declension

1. (literal) an act of smelling, a smell
2. (transferred sense) the sense of smell

Inflection

Fourth-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	olfactus	olfactūs
Genitive	olfactūs	olfactuum
Dative	olfactuī	olfactibus
Accusative	olfactum	olfactūs
Ablative	olfactū	olfactibus
Vocative	olfactus	olfactūs

Descendants

Descendants of olfactus in other languages

• Catalan: olfacte
• ⇒ English: olfaction, olfactory
• Italian: olfatto
• Portuguese: olfato
• Spanish: olfato

Etymology 2

Perfect passive participle of olfaciō (“to smell, scent”).

Participle

olfactus (feminine olfacta, neuter olfactum); first/second-declension participle

1. smelling, scenting

Inflection

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	olfactus	olfacta	olfactum		olfactī	olfactae	olfacta
Genitive	olfactī	olfactae	olfactī		olfactōrum	olfactārum	olfactōrum
Dative	olfactō		olfactō		olfactīs
Accusative	olfactum	olfactam	olfactum		olfactōs	olfactās	olfacta
Ablative	olfactō	olfactā	olfactō		olfactīs
Vocative	olfacte	olfacta	olfactum		olfactī	olfactae	olfacta

References

• “olfactus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• olfactus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.