Oxente is an interjection used with the meaning of admiration, surprise or even strangeness. The term is quite popular in the northeast region of Brazil, where you can hear oxente, in the most diverse communication situations.
The Northeast is very rich in interjections of this type, such as arre-mae!, vixe!, vice!, oxe!, eita!, which can acquire different meanings depending on the occasion and the tone of voice used.
In many parts of Brazil, interjections with a similar meaning are found, for example, “uai” in Minas Gerais and “tchê” in Rio Grande do Sul. With widespread use throughout the country, the interjections ave!, ave maria!, vixe!, vixe maria!, among others, are found.
The term oxente is formed through the agglutination of the expression “oh, people!”. It is common, however, to hear the interjection “oxe!”, which is an even shorter form of the original expression that evolved as follows: Oh, people! – Oxente! – Oh, hello!
The sentences below exemplify the use of the term:
“Oxente, aren't you ready yet? “
“Oxente, are you here yet? I thought today would come later”.
"Oxente, is he no longer the store manager?"