cooee

v. intr.

to utter the call.

1830. R. Dawson, `Present State of Australia,' p. 81:

«Our sable guides `cooed' and `cooed' again, in their usualtone of calling to each other at a distance.»

1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition, p. 115:

«Brown cooyed to him, and by a sign requested him to wait forus.»

1847. J. D. Lang, `Phillipsland,' p. 85 [Footnote]:

«Cooey is the aboriginal mode of calling out to any person at adistance, whether visible or not, in the forest. The sound ismade by dwelling on the first syllable, and pronouncing thesecond with a short, sharp, rising inflexion. It is mucheasier made, and is heard to a much greater distance than theEnglish holla! and is consequently in universal useamong the colonists. . . . There is a story current in thecolony of a party of native-born colonists being in London, oneof whom, a young lady, if I recollect aright, was accidentallyseparated from the rest, in the endless stream of pedestriansand vehicles of all descriptions, at the intersection of FleetStreet with the broad avenue leading to Blackfriars Bridge.When they were all in great consternation and perplexity at thecircumstance, it occurred to one of the party to cooey,and the well-known sound, with its ten thousand Australianassociations, being at once recognised and responded to, areunion of the party took place immediately, doubtless to thegreat wonderment of the surrounding Londoners, who wouldprobably suppose they were all fit for Bedlam.»

1848. W. Westgarth, `Australia Felix,' p. 90:

«They [the aborigines] warily entered scrubs, and called out(cooyed) repeatedly in approaching water-holes, even when yetat a great distance.»

1852. J. West, `History of Tasmania,' vol. ii. p. 91:

«A female, born on this division of the globe, once stood atthe foot of London Bridge, and cooyed for her husband, of whomshe had lost sight, and stopped the passengers by the noveltyof the sound; which however is not unknown in certainneighbourhoods of the metropolis. Some gentlemen, on a visitto a London theatre, to draw the attention of their friends inan opposite box, called out cooey; a voice in the galleryanswered `Botany Bay!'»

1880 (circa). `Melbourne Punch,' [In the days of long trains]:

«George, there's somebody treading on my dress; cooee to thebottom of the stairs.»