Kaitiakitanga.

AntC sent me a link to this RNZ story by Layla Bailey-McDowell, saying “This is one of those silly gossip-magazine ‘competitions’ that I wouldn’t bother with except a word in Te Reo Māori is the winner. (Also a Welsh word came third.)” It is certainly silly, but I like the word; the story begins: 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. […] (I’ll spare you…