The world's most beautiful word has been chosen for the first time

For the first time in history, an international panel of experts has identified the world's most beautiful word. The winner is a word from the language of the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand: “Kaitiakitanga” . This was announced by the language learning platform Babbel .

It is reported that “Kaitiakitanga” has no direct equivalent in Uzbek or many other languages. It signifies a person's responsibility toward nature, the duty to protect the environment, and to pass it on safely to future generations.

According to the Maori worldview, humans are not the owners of nature. Instead, they are an inseparable part of it and are responsible for its protection.

The organizers noted that in selecting the winner, they considered not only the word's beautiful pronunciation but also its meaning, cultural significance, and modern relevance.

To determine the winner, the Babbel team analyzed social media, language forums, and various discussions. The final decision was made by an international jury consisting of linguists and cultural experts.

The competition featured 223 words from over 75 languages .

The most popular words that reached the final include:

• Saudade (Portuguese) — a deep longing for something lost or unattainable.

• Ikigai (Japanese) — a purpose or reason for living that motivates a person every day.

• Hiraeth (Welsh) — a deep longing for a home or place that one cannot return to.

• Ubuntu (Zulu) — the philosophy of humanity, mutual respect, and togetherness.

• Luftmensch (Yiddish) — an idealist who lives by ideas and dreams rather than material wealth.

The organizers stated that the main goal of the competition is to showcase the richness of world languages and cultures, and to highlight how some words embody unique concepts that are difficult to express in other languages with a single word.