What does vae mean in Latin?

vae, a interjection, means “woe, alas”.

How do you pronounce vae?

In classical Latin, [ˈwae̯]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈvɛː].

woe, alas
Vae victīs!Woe to the conquered!
Vae, mē putō deus fierī.Dear me, I think I'm becoming a god.

(interiectiō dolōris) heu

vae — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 9

vae, interj. οὐαί, an exclamation of pain or dread,

I. ah! alas!

(a). Absol.: Mantua, vae, miserae nimium vicina Cremonae, Verg. E. 9, 28; Hor. C. 1, 13, 3: vae verbero! Plaut. Mil. 2, 3, 51.—

(b). Very freq. like the Gr. οὐαί and our woe! with dat.: vae misero mihi! Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 94; Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 9: mihi, id. Eun. 4, 4, 42: illi, Plaut. As. 2, 2, 7: tergo meo, id. Men. 2, 2, 3; cf. id. Capt. 3, 4, 117: capiti atque aetati tuae, id. Rud. 2, 3, 44.—Esp., in the exclamation ascribed to Brennus: vae victis! intoleranda Romanis vox, Liv. 5, 48, 9; Flor. 1, 13, 17; Fest. p. 372 Müll.; Plaut. Ps. 5, 2, 19; also, as title of a Satire by Varro, v. Non. 82, 17; 156, 13; 492, 8 (Müll. de victis).—

(g). Very rarely with acc.: vae te! woe to you! Plaut. As. 2, 4, 75: scelesta, vae te! Cat. 8, 15: vae me! Sen. Apocol. 4, 3.

From Proto-Indo-European *wáy. Cognate with English woe, Ancient Greek οὐαί (ouaí) and Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai).

Descendants