Etymology Borrowed from Dharug guuu-wi, adopted into English by white settlers in Australia from 1790.
1
Australia, Informal, Onomatopoeic 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".1943, H. Lorna Bingham, The Lost Tribe, Sydney: Winn and Co., page 32, column 1:
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.2002, Andrew Parkin, A Thing Apart, page 195:
1 more example
2006, Saskia Beudel, Walking: West MacDonnell Ranges 2002, in Drusilla Modjeska, The Best Australian Essays 2006, page 309, Just as I was preparing to write in my exercise book, I heard a cooee. Cooees were not part of the code.
That is not within cooee of 10 per cent; it is much closer to six per cent.1996, australian House of Representatives, Parliamentary Debates Australia, volume 207, page 1469:
We were carless, in the dark, and no one to help within cooee.1999, Tony Shillitoe, Joy Ride, page 136:
cooee
verb
Etymology Borrowed from Dharug guuu-wi, adopted into English by white settlers in Australia from 1790.
‘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.’2001, Robert Holden, Nicholas Holden, Bunyips: Australia's Folklore of Fear, page 65:
Slipping out of the tail of the dray, I cooeed as loud as I could which was answered.2003, Les Hughes, A Young Australian Pioneer: Henry Mundy, page 225:
1 more example
2006, Saskia Beudel, Walking: West MacDonnell Ranges 2002, in Drusilla Modjeska, The Best Australian Essays 2006, page 310, I cooeed back. Another cooee came in what seemed to be a reply. I cooeed again.
cooee
intj
Etymology Borrowed from Dharug guuu-wi, adopted into English by white settlers in Australia from 1790.
Then, raising her hands to her lips she utters a long, loud, piercing " Cooee ! " " Coo — ee ! " comes back over the black waters.1894, Temple Bar, volume 183, page 587:
1 more example
2001, June E. Barker, First Platypus, Gaygar—The Little Mother Duck, in Helen F. McKay (editor), Pauline E. McLeod, Francis Firebrace Jones, June E. Barker, Gadi Mirrabooka: Australian Aboriginal Tales from the Dreaming, page 58, Gaygar could hear her people cooee out to her, "COOEE, GAYGAR! COOEE, GAYGAR!" they would cry.