Kaitiakitanga Named Most Beautiful Word in Global Babbel Competition

The language‑learning platform Babbel announced that the Māori term “Kaitiakitanga” had been selected as the most beautiful word in the world. An international jury of linguists, authors and cultural experts reviewed 223 submissions from more than 75 languages, judging based on sound, meaning and cultural uniqueness.

“Kaitiakitanga” translates to a guardianship responsibility for protecting nature for future generations, reflecting the Māori view that people are part of, rather than owners of, the environment. Other shortlisted words included Portuguese “Saudade”, Japanese “Ikigai”, Welsh “Hiraeth”, Zulu “Ubuntu” and Yiddish “Luftmensch”.