cooee

intj

Etymology: Borrowed from Dharug guuu-wi, adopted into English by white settlers in Australia from 1790.

1. Used to attract someone's attention.

   “Cooee! I'm over here!”

   “Then, raising her hands to her lips she utters a long, loud, piercing " Cooee ! " " Coo — ee ! " comes back over the black waters.”

name

1. A town in Burnie City Council, north western Tasmania, Australia.

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from Dharug guuu-wi, adopted into English by white settlers in Australia from 1790.

1. A long, loud call used to attract attention when at a distance, mainly done in the Australian bush.

   “Then they heard in the distance the "coo-ee" of a white man, which was instantly answered by another "coo-ee".”

   “I call out, “Coo-ee” with long Coo and short ee like whip-bird call. Everybody in my mob know my cooee. Any one of my mob hear that, they give me cooee back. I listen. No cooee come back.”

2. A short distance; hailing distance.

   “That is not within cooee of 10 per cent; it is much closer to six per cent.”

   “We were carless, in the dark, and no one to help within cooee.”

verb

Etymology: Borrowed from Dharug guuu-wi, adopted into English by white settlers in Australia from 1790.

1. To make such a call.

   “‘Look out for snakes,’ said Long Charlie, flourishing his lantern. ‘And don′t all of us be coo-eeing all the time, or when the little chap sings out we shan't be able to hear him.’”

   “Slipping out of the tail of the dray, I cooeed as loud as I could which was answered.”