French word for perfumes; fragrances or scented substances used to give a pleasant smell. Often seen on perfume bottles and in luxury branding.
From French parfum, derived from Latin per fumum meaning 'through smoke', referring to the ancient practice of creating pleasant scents by burning aromatic substances. The practice evolved from religious incense to personal fragrance.
The word literally means 'through smoke' because the first perfumes were created by burning fragrant woods and resins in religious ceremonies! Ancient Egyptians were so obsessed with scent that they put solid perfume cones on their heads at parties that would slowly melt and perfume their hair.
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