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A Māori word describing the responsibility to care for the natural world has been named the world’s most beautiful word by language-learning platform Babbel.
The kupu, kaitiakitanga topped a list of 223 words from 75 languages after Babbel analysed discussions across online communities including Reddit and TikTok before an international panel of linguists, writers and cultural experts selected a winner.
The word means guardianship and protection. It was a way of protecting and caring for the environment for present and future generations based on the Māori world view.
Babbel said kaitiakitanga stood out for its distinctive sound, layered meaning and cultural significance.
“Kaitiakitanga brings together everything that makes a word extraordinary: a distinctive sound, a profound meaning, and a concept that has no direct equivalent in many other languages. At the same time, it speaks to a theme that defines our era: the responsible stewardship of our environment for generations to come. As such, Kaitiakitanga exemplifies the unique power of language to express complex values and attitudes in a single word.”
Babbel language expert Esteban Touma Portilla said the concept resonated at a time when people around the world were experiencing the effects of climate change.
“As people around the world experience the effects of climate change, the resonant, distinctive word Kaitiakitanga reminds us of our responsibility to care for the environment and for one another.”
He said the repeated sounds within the word evoked “our planet, its natural cycles, and our place within them.”
Babbel compiled its shortlist after analysing thousands of discussions from online language communities, producing a catalogue of 223 words from 75 languages.
An international jury then assessed the words based on four criteria, sound, meaning, rarity and cultural relevance.
“Particularly compelling are words that resonate not only through their phonaesthetics but also express experiences or values with no direct equivalent in other languages,” Babbel said.
“Words from minority or endangered languages, in particular, open up unique perspectives on the world. At the same time, words gain significance when they speak to themes currently shaping society.”
Babbel linguist and language expert Maren Pauli said words were most powerful when they expressed experiences or values with no direct equivalent in other languages.
“Kaitiakitanga brings all of them together, and shows how language can open new perspectives on our world,” she said.
“The beauty of a word rarely comes from its sound alone, or its meaning alone. Words become truly extraordinary where sound, meaning, cultural context, and timeliness come together. Especially compelling are terms that express experiences or values for which other languages have no direct equivalent.”
“They open up new perspectives on how people perceive and describe the world.”
Other words to make the top 15 included:
- Aura (Greek) - The distinctive presence, energy, or atmosphere that surrounds a person.
- Hiraeth (Welsh) - A deep, bittersweet longing for a lost or never-truly-known home or time.
- Ikigai (Japanese) - The sense of purpose in life that gives someone a reason to get up each morning.
- Iriy (Ukrainian) - A mythical, warm place where, according to legend, souls and birds migrate in winter.
- Kintsugi (Japanese) - The art of repairing broken ceramics with gold, honouring the cracks rather than hiding them.
- Luftmensch (Yiddish) - An idealist or dreamer who lives more through ideas and dreams than practical matters.
- Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan) - A meaningful look shared between two people, each wanting the other to make the first move.
- Naz (Urdu) - The confident feeling and pride that comes from being loved unconditionally.
- Ojalá (Spanish) - An expression of hope or wish that something will come to pass.
- Poronkusema (Finnish) - A traditional unit of distance: how far a reindeer can travel before needing to urinate.
- Saudade (Portuguese) - A deep longing for someone or something that is absent - both painful and beautiful.
- Ubuntu (Zulu) - A philosophy of shared humanity: “I am because we are.”
- Yakamoz (Turkish) - The silvery shimmer of moonlight on the surface of water.
- Zephyr (Greek) - A gentle, light, and refreshing breeze.
Nā Layla Bailey-McDowell nō RNZ.
