diff --git a/src/backend/Makefile.am b/src/backend/Makefile.am
index ce63e44de..2cde41ae2 100644
--- a/src/backend/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/backend/Makefile.am
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ liblumibackend_a_SOURCES =					\
 	$(liblumibackend_a_srcdir)/filehandlecache.c		\
 	$(liblumibackend_a_srcdir)/config.c			\
 	$(liblumibackend_a_srcdir)/config_typed.c 		\
+	$(liblumibackend_a_srcdir)/config_wordlist.c 		\
 	$(liblumibackend_a_srcdir)/configentry.c 		\
 	$(liblumibackend_a_srcdir)/configitem.c 		\
 	$(liblumibackend_a_srcdir)/config_lookup.c
diff --git a/src/backend/config.h b/src/backend/config.h
index 80f33a6d5..a603c2cbf 100644
--- a/src/backend/config.h
+++ b/src/backend/config.h
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ typedef lumiera_config* LumieraConfig;
   LUMIERA_CONFIG_TYPE(number, signed long long) \
   LUMIERA_CONFIG_TYPE(real, long double)        \
   LUMIERA_CONFIG_TYPE(string, const char*)      \
+  LUMIERA_CONFIG_TYPE(wordlist, const char*)    \
   LUMIERA_CONFIG_TYPE(word, const char*)        \
   LUMIERA_CONFIG_TYPE(bool, int)
 
@@ -223,7 +224,11 @@ lumiera_config_setdefault (const char* line);
 LUMIERA_CONFIG_TYPES
 #undef LUMIERA_CONFIG_TYPE
 
-
+/**
+ * special functions for accessing wordlists
+ */
+const char*
+lumiera_config_wordlist_get_nth (const char* key, unsigned nth);
 
 //  * {{{ lumiera_config_TYPE_set (const char* key, TYPE*value, const char* fmt) }}}
 //    Highlevel interface for different types, fmt is a printf format specifier for the desired format, when NULL, defaults apply.
diff --git a/src/backend/config_wordlist.c b/src/backend/config_wordlist.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3bcbf1ca8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/config_wordlist.c
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+/*
+  config_wordlist.c  -  Lumiera wordlist access functions
+
+  Copyright (C)         Lumiera.org
+    2008,               Christian Thaeter <ct@pipapo.org>
+
+  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+  modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+  published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
+  License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+  GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+  along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+  Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
+*/
+
+//TODO: Support library includes//
+#include "lib/error.h"
+#include "lib/safeclib.h"
+
+
+//TODO: Lumiera header includes//
+#include "backend/config.h"
+
+//TODO: internal/static forward declarations//
+
+
+//TODO: System includes//
+
+/**
+ * return nth word of a wordlist
+ */
+const char*
+lumiera_config_wordlist_get_nth (const char* key, unsigned nth)
+{
+  const char* value;
+  size_t len;
+
+  if (!lumiera_config_wordlist_get (key, &value))
+    return NULL;
+
+  for (;;)
+    {
+      value += strspn (value, " \t,;");
+      len = strcspn (value, " \t,;");
+      if (!nth && *value)
+        break;
+
+      --nth;
+      value += len;
+
+      if (!*value)
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+  return lumiera_tmpbuf_strndup (value, len);
+}
+
+#if 0
+int
+lumiera_config_wordlist_find (const char* key, const char* value)
+{
+}
+
+
+LumieraConfigitem
+lumiera_config_wordlist_set_nth (const char* key, const char** value, unsigned nth)
+{
+}
+
+LumieraConfigitem
+lumiera_config_wordlist_append (const char* key, const char** value, unsigned nth)
+{
+}
+
+LumieraConfigitem
+lumiera_config_wordlist_add (const char* key, const char** value, unsigned nth)
+{
+}
+#endif
+
+
+
+/*
+// Local Variables:
+// mode: C
+// c-file-style: "gnu"
+// indent-tabs-mode: nil
+// End:
+*/
diff --git a/tests/22config_highlevel.tests b/tests/22config_highlevel.tests
index e0e4995c8..42e2561f3 100644
--- a/tests/22config_highlevel.tests
+++ b/tests/22config_highlevel.tests
@@ -192,3 +192,25 @@ out: item->key_size = '7'
 out: item->key = 'key.foo 		<	key.bar'
 out: item->delim = '<	key.bar'
 END
+
+
+TEST "wordlist get item from empty list should fail" wordlist_get_nth 'foo.bar' '' 0 << END
+out: 'NULL'
+END
+
+TEST "wordlist get item past end should fail" wordlist_get_nth 'foo.bar' 'baz barf gnarf' 3 << END
+out: 'NULL'
+END
+
+TEST "wordlist get first item" wordlist_get_nth 'foo.bar' 'baz barf gnarf' 0 << END
+out: 'baz'
+END
+
+TEST "wordlist get last item" wordlist_get_nth 'foo.bar' 'baz barf; gnarf' 2 << END
+out: 'gnarf'
+END
+
+TEST "wordlist get middle" wordlist_get_nth 'foo.bar' 'baz barf, gnarf' 1 << END
+out: 'barf'
+END
+
diff --git a/tests/backend/test-config.c b/tests/backend/test-config.c
index ea312a429..2ed4f4234 100644
--- a/tests/backend/test-config.c
+++ b/tests/backend/test-config.c
@@ -287,4 +287,25 @@ TEST ("configitem_simple_content_check")
   lumiera_config_destroy ();
 }
 
+
+TEST ("wordlist_get_nth")
+{
+  REQUIRE (argv[2]);
+  REQUIRE (argv[3]);
+  REQUIRE (argv[4]);
+
+  lumiera_config_init ("./");
+
+  if (!lumiera_config_wordlist_set (argv[2], &argv[3]))
+    printf ("failed setting word '%s=%s': %s\n", argv[2], argv[3], lumiera_error ());
+
+  const char* word = lumiera_config_wordlist_get_nth (argv[2], atoi (argv[4]));
+
+  printf ("'%s'\n", word?word:"NULL");
+
+  lumiera_config_destroy ();
+}
+
+
+
 TESTS_END