Kaitiakitanga–the World’s Most Beautiful Word

July 17, 2026

North Otago's Majestic Mountains, river and forests — The Majestic Landscape that is our Home

Te reo Māori has received a wonderful international honour. Kaitiakitanga has been named the most beautiful word in the world by an international jury of linguists, authors and cultural experts, in a global competition organised by language-learning platform Babbel. The winning word was selected from more than 220 candidates drawn from 75 languages — placing New Zealand’s indigenous language on a truly global stage.

Kaitiakitanga is often translated as “guardianship” or “stewardship”, but it carries a deeper meaning: a responsibility, held rather than owned, to protect and nurture the natural world for the generations yet to come. A kaitiaki is a guardian; kaitiakitanga is the practice of that guardianship — of the land, the sea and the sky.

It is a concept that resonates deeply with us at Pen-y-bryn Lodge. Our historic home and its gardens have stood in Oamaru for well over a century, and we have always understood our role here as one of caretaking rather than ownership. Whether tending trees planted by generations before us, supporting the protection of the little blue penguins along our coastline, or simply encouraging our guests to slow down and connect with the landscapes of the Waitaki, we strive to be worthy kaitiaki of this remarkable place.

How fitting, we think, that of all the world’s languages, it is a word from Aotearoa — and a word about care — that has been judged the most beautiful of all.