'augh' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'agh', where it was an imitative exclamation expressing pain or dismay.

'augh' changed from Old English and early exclamations such as 'ah'/'ā' into Middle English 'agh' and later appeared in variant spellings like 'augh' in Early Modern English.

Initially it meant a cry of pain or surprise; over time it has largely retained that interjectional sense and is now used chiefly to express frustration, disgust, or sudden pain.