aue

"Aue" is an interjection adopted into New Zealand English from te reo Māori, used to express intense emotion — most commonly grief, sorrow, or lament, but also surprise, dismay, or heartfelt reaction of any kind. It typically stands at the beginning of an utterance or functions as a standalone cry, much like "alas" or "oh dear" in English, though it carries a rawer, more visceral force. Because it originates in Māori, its use is concentrated in New Zealand, where it appears in everyday speech, literature, journalism, and formal settings such as speeches of condolence, lending authenticity and emotional weight. Speakers outside New Zealand may encounter it in Māori writing or Pacific contexts. For writers, "aue" offers a concise way to signal deep feeling while acknowledging the indigenous language of Aotearoa.

An exclamation expressing grief, pain, surprise, or strong emotion, borrowed into New Zealand English from Māori.

Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.

Etymology of aue

"Aue" comes directly from Māori, where it serves as a conventional exclamation of grief, pain, or astonishment. It belongs to a family of similar emotive exclamations found across Polynesian languages, reflecting shared Austronesian roots. The word entered New Zealand English through sustained contact between Māori and English speakers, becoming established especially in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as Māori vocabulary permeated local usage.

How aue is actually used

The word carries strong Māori cultural resonance and appears chiefly in New Zealand writing and speech, often where speakers wish to convey authentic emotional expression or Māori identity. It is informal and emotive rather than neutral prose vocabulary.

Easily confused with aue