added to Oxford English Dictionary
The Māori term kaitiakitanga has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
It comes as part of the dictionary's October update, which has seen nearly 100 new and updated entries with a special focus on words relating to climate and the environment.
According to the dictionary, kaitiakitanga is a noun which means "guardianship or management, especially of the natural resources of a place or area; environmental stewardship considered as a duty and responsibility of the inhabitants of an area".
An article on the dictionary's website notes that New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2018 proposed kaitiakitanga as the key to combating climate change. In her speech, titled 'Kaitiakitanga: Protecting our planet', Ardern said we all have kaitiakitanga over the world.
"We all hold this responsibility in our own nations, but the challenge of climate change requires us to look beyond the domestic. Our duty of care is as global as the challenge of climate change."
Link to article: Māori term kaitiakitanga added to Oxford English Dictionary | Newshub
