ABSTRACT
The gustatory organ is concerned with the physical perception of the savor of food. It allows us to distinguish the good from the bad through a sensation of pleasure.
I notice first that the latin word gustus, from which our goût is derived, is seldom taken figuratively. Quintilian is about the only writer that used it in the sense we give to the word goût. It is indeed the definition he gives of Roman urbanity, proprium quemdam gustum urbis — a certain taste of politeness that can only be acquired in Rome. As for us, we fortunately (and often) use the word goût figuratively ( Gédoyns 1767).
